power is among the most elusive traits. if you have to ask for it, or demonstrate your assertion of it, you definitely don’t have it. on the other hand, as has been told by everyone from herodotus to shakespeare to scorsese, the second you assuredly have it, the daggers are lining up at your back. yet despite all these perils, power is something everyone hungers for in his own way.

professionally, power is often sought after by way of its far more attractive brother: status. attaining various levels of stature is the higher ground of simply having a job that pays the bills. in success defined, writer vicki salemi examines how this changes as we age and how the markers of success are codified among our peers. salemi casts a light on the activities (and attitudes) we adopt as emblems, which signal both where we are professionally as well as where we are going personally.

once captured, at least in the financial sense, power translates to the legacy we leave behind. writer christine giordano offers the experts’ perspectives on transferring wealth. as giordano points out, wealth can be seen as having the knowledge to navigate life’s most precious decisions. but it’s also about knowing how to piece together the team to make it happen.

some power players make our pages too. long island’s top legal eagles profiles the leading attorneys making a difference both in their areas of practice and in their communities. this 10th annual installment includes a delegation setting the pace for the legal field in unique ways. the midas awards, which focuses on those in the financial sectors, is the counterpoint. both are compiled as a result of extensive voting by the professionals working in these fields. consider these pages a concierge for locating the advisor to guide your next ambitions.

the exemplar of power can show itself in less obvious ways, too. our nassau coliseum 2.0 looks at our region’s beloved arena making a comeback. the hype surrounding this project has been fierce since the beginning, in line with the venue that has always made waves. senior associate editor andrew sheldon spoke with the key players resurrecting the coliseum to take us for a visual tour of what the new space will offer. happening in the arts this month is the whitney biennial. this iteration stands to launch the careers of the artists being shown as well as those doing the showing. curators christopher y. lew and mia locks are the subjects of our objectified column. they give us the back story about traveling through 40 cities together to handpick the artists in the show, many of whom are emerging (just like the co-curators).

bob williams, one half of the design duo that bears his name, shares his view on designing spaces with a gold standard. the brand is synonymous with elegance, simplicity and timelessness—everything about it makes you want to sit down and savor a well-crafted cocktail. it’s no wonder mitchell gold + bob williams has become a juggernaut in their 30 short years of developing décor. in honor of women’s history month, we share 46 shades of women. writer esperanza león returns to our masthead with a look at the latest from bastienne schmidt. the artist released her typology of women last year, empowering us all to ask questions…and ask whether or not certain questions we should only ask of ourselves.