Hrm. It's interesting; it makes me want to go grab my copy of "The Prince" and give it another go. :) I got a few chapters into it before I got distracted...
I did think a few things were interesting--
Law 7: Let others to do the work for you, but always take credit
Use the skills of others to do the work for you, never do yourself what others can do for you.
Your efficiency will appear god-like.
---I'm all about letting others do stuff for me, especially if I know they can do it better/quicker than I can, but I think being appreciative is a key element to healthy relationships, whether it's back in the office days, or running a rental biz.
Which is related to--
Law 12: Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim
One sincere move will cover over a dozen dishonest ones.
Honesty can bring down the guard of suspicious people.
Open their shield with honesty, then deceive.
-- It's interesting how it talks about "reputation is everything"-- and yet it very quickly suggests you put that reputation in jeopardy by being dishonest/deceitful.
Back in my former life, I was a good boss-- the people under me liked me because I treated them like adults, and my domain was a breath of fresh air compared to the high school-esque politics that ran rampant elsewhere in the org chart. :)
You know how it is when you run with strong, competent, smart, alpha-type personalities... they know how to not just wield power, but they know how to be leaders, and get people to follow them, so that what you accomplish as a group is greater than the sum of the parts of the individuals in that group. And when you run with those sorts of people, you lose a lot of patience with weak poseurs who may fill the position or sit in the chair, but lack those inner qualities of a strong leader, and it's only a matter of time before their own flaws catch up with them.
It takes a lot to threaten a strong leader, but a weak leader sees threats behind every corner. A strong leader wields power with confidence, but a weak leader clings to it fearfully. A strong leader can afford to be generous; a weak leader is stingy, because what he has is never enough, and he's too afraid of losing what little he has to be inclined to share it voluntarily. A strong leader can be virtuous, because he's bigger than what surrounds him; a weak leader will sacrifice something important (like honesty or reputation) for short-term gain.
He's put a lot of thought into it, for sure. But the quick sniff-test is suggesting there's a bunch of advice for weak leaders mixed in with some universal truths.
--96.46.xxx.xx
Lessons in power (by S i d [MO]) Mar 21, 2018 9:58 AM
Lessons in power (by Robin [WI]) Mar 21, 2018 1:57 PM