What Does Subjugation Really Mean?

If people aren't clear about what they want, it's seen as selfish or greedy and so it becomes a lot more political. An example here would be if there is a leader of an organization who is owning what they want but their wants are coming from a place of fear. So when we have a group where there is a power imbalance or a hierarchy, how would you approach this with regards to getting needs met?