To strategically use available assets, capabilities, or advantages to achieve maximum benefit or impact.
This phrase combines the mechanical concept of 'leverage' (using a lever to amplify force) with business terminology. 'Leverage' as a metaphor for gaining advantage emerged in the early 20th century, while the specific phrase 'leverage resources' became popular in corporate speak during the 1980s and 1990s management consulting boom.
The word 'leverage' beautifully demonstrates how physical principles become business metaphors - just as a lever multiplies physical force, leveraging resources means getting more output than input through strategic positioning. However, the phrase has become so overused in corporate environments that it's often mocked as meaningless jargon, showing how powerful metaphors can lose impact through overuse.
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