The Power of Second: Why Being Number Two Might Be the Best Place to Lead From

By Rolando Asisten

Most of us grow up believing that being first is everything. First in class, first in line, first to win. But what if the real power is found not in being first-but in being second?

The Power of Second challenges the myth of the number one spot and reveals a surprising truth: second place is not weakness, but a vantage point for i

• Language: English
• Publisher: LifeAvenue Publishing
• Release date: Aug 26, 2025
• ISBN: 9798869184955

Book preview

Part One

Part I

The Mindset of Second-Powered Leadership

Before second-powered individuals act differently, they think differently.

They carry within them a quiet strength—a mindset that doesn’t seek the spotlight, yet doesn’t shrink from responsibility either.

In a world that often equates success with visibility and status, these individuals embrace a different lens. Their power is not reactive. It’s rooted. It’s not performative. It’s anchored in character, not charisma.

This first part of the book introduces the REALM framework—five foundational beliefs that shape the second-powered mindset. Together, they form the bedrock of how second-powered individuals view themselves, their role, and their impact:

Resilient Rise – They rise again, not in spite of failure, but because of what it taught them.

Empathic Influence – They lead not through authority, but through compassion and understanding.

Anchored Identity – Their worth is not based on titles or applause, but on calling and conviction.

Legacy Thinking – They live and lead with tomorrow in mind, investing in what outlives them.

Meaningful Visibility – They don’t chase fame, but they are deeply seen where it matters most.

Each chapter in this section explores one of these five beliefs through real stories—drawn from history, leadership, family, and frontline service. You’ll meet people who were underestimated, unseen, or under-resourced—but who became leaders not despite their position, but because of it.

They teach us that second is not the opposite of greatness—it’s a different kind of it. Let us begin where quiet power is born.

Chapter 1

Resilient Rise

Failing Forward, Rising Differently

There’s a unique kind of strength in those who have fallen—and gotten back up without fanfare.

Not all resilience roars. Sometimes, it limps. Sometimes, it whispers, Try again.

But in a culture that glorifies uninterrupted success, we rarely tell the stories of the almosts, the not-yets, the second attempts.

This chapter is about the ones who didn’t quit—who kept going not because it was easy, but because they saw something on the other side of the setback.

It’s about the quiet rise after rejection.

The decision to begin again after doors close.

The sacred courage of trying differently when trying harder isn’t enough.

Resilient rise is not blind optimism. It’s clarity shaped by pain.

It’s not just the comeback—it’s the transformation that happens while you’re still down.

In the pages ahead, you’ll meet people who lost—badly.

Some were overlooked, others betrayed, still others faced silence when they gave their all.

But something in them refused to stay on the ground.

Because second-powered people don’t just bounce back.

They rebuild—with deeper roots, stronger insight, and more compassionate strength.

Story 1: Susan Lucci – 18 Times a Bridesmaid

For 18 years, Susan Lucci was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award.

For 18 years, she lost.

Each time her name appeared on the shortlist, she smiled in the camera’s direction and watched another name be called. She became known not as America’s Favorite Daytime Actress, but as the greatest Emmy loser of all time.

And yet, she never quit.

Behind the scenes, Lucci kept showing up to work at 4:00 a.m., filming long days, treating everyone on set with warmth and respect. Her presence lifted morale. Her loyalty held the show together. She wasn’t bitter. She was becoming.

In 1999, on her 19th nomination, her name was finally called. The crowd rose to its feet. Oprah Winfrey wept. Regis Philbin jumped with joy. The roar wasn’t just for a win—it was for resilience.

Lucci’s legacy didn’t come from her award.

It came from the years she didn’t win—and still stayed excellent.

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Reflection Questions

1. Have you ever been passed over, delayed, or overlooked? What emotions did you wrestle with?

2. What does showing up faithfully look like even when success seems delayed?

3.What small act of resilience have you seen make a lasting difference?

Group Discussion

1. What are some modern examples of people who demonstrated quiet resilience?

2. How can teams and communities support those who serve faithfully in the background?

3. What might we miss when we only celebrate winners and visible success?

Story 2: Stephen King – The Rejection Stack

Stephen King was living in a trailer and working as a janitor when he began writing a story about a troubled girl with telekinetic powers.

He didn’t think it was any good.

He threw it in the trash.

His wife, Tabitha, pulled it out.

Keep going, she said. There’s something here.

So he did. He kept writing Carrie — on a typewriter in a laundry room. He sent it out.

And it was rejected.

Again. And again.

He hung each rejection slip on a nail on the wall.

Eventually the nail bent from the weight.

Then one day, a publisher said yes.

Carrie launched King’s career—and went on to sell over 4 million copies. But King never forgot the rejections. In fact, he kept them. Because they were proof that you could be told no a hundred times—and still say yes to yourself.

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Reflection Questions

What rejection slips in your life have shaped you?

How do you discern when to persist—and when to pivot?

Who has pulled a dream out of the trash for you?

Group Discussion

How can rejection refine someone's calling rather than derail it?

What role do encouragers (like Tabitha King) play in second-powered leadership?

What would a community look like if it honored perseverance as much as performance?

Story 3: Joseph – The Detour to Power

Joseph had dreams of greatness. Visions of leadership. A future that gleamed like gold.

Then he was thrown into a pit by his brothers.

Sold into slavery.

Falsely