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  It worked: the pains I undertook were rewarded. The proof is in the pudding, as they say. Is it manipulative to study letters and music, and to study generally, for the purpose of “bringing success and honour” to myself, as opposed to doing it purely for the sake of knowledge? Is it devious to read for the sake of strategy rather than to read for pleasure? Maybe. But I want to succeed, and I will do whatever it takes and learn whatever I must learn. Education, no matter what field you wish to be a part of, no matter what kind of power you wish to gain, is your golden key: “To exercise the intellect the prince should read histories, and study there the actions of illustrious men, to see how they have borne themselves in war, to examine the causes of their victories and defeat, so as to avoid the latter and imitate the former.”

  Congratulations, you’ve already taken the first step by reading this book. You’re on the path. Now keep going and keep reading—not just my book, but any book by any author who has something that you want. Turn off the TV—there is little power to be found there. Your house should look like a Barnes & Noble. No money to buy books? Libraries are free, as is the advice of librarians. Incidentally, libraries also have computers. In the age of information, there is no excuse to not self-educate.

  ALWAYS PLAY IT SAFE: HOPE FOR THE BEST AND PREPARE FOR THE WORST

  Not all people in power follow this precept. There are those who choose to gamble with their future and who owe, perhaps, as much of their success to luck as they do to their hard work and talent. Then again, Machiavelli tells us that we are all slaves to fortune, and just as we must be realistic about people and human nature, so too must we be realistic about the indifference of the universe. The world does not care about you. The universe does not care that you are here, and all of existence couldn’t care less whether you succeed or accomplish your dreams.

  It’s time to leave that law of attraction bullshit on the curb for the garbageman. “Speaking things into existence” only works if you motivate yourself to then go out and do something. The world will always throw you curveballs, and you must not let yourself become complacent, even if you find yourself in a good place. When I want to demonstrate this principle, I’ll ask the following question: How many wheels does a car come with? If you said four, you are incorrect. A car comes with five wheels, including the spare, usually found in the trunk. I then ask why, to which people usually respond: “For if you get a flat tire.” This is also wrong. The spare is not for if you get a flat tire, it is for when you get a flat tire. What can happen will happen, and you are better off in finance, in business, and in life the more deeply you internalize this lesson. It is never a matter of if but always when. If you prepare, you will not be taken off guard when the unthinkable, the improbable, inevitably hits you right in the gut: “A wise prince ought to observe some such rules, and never in peaceful times stand idle, but increase his resources with industry in such a way that they may be available to him in adversity, so that if fortune chances it may find him prepared to resist her blows,” Machiavelli tells us.

  The fact that we still talk about The Prince, and the fact that in modern society we commonly use the term Machiavellian, is proof that, whether you approve or disapprove of the morality of Machiavelli’s strategy, it works. This is the pragmatism I am asking you to consider with this book: look only to what actions accomplish for you. Your attention is best spent on action, on strategies that reliably allow you to accomplish your goals, despite the judgment of your inner critic or any outer ones. Machiavelli’s precepts stand on their own, and when applied properly, you will be shocked at how power may suddenly become attainable.

  NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

  THE CONQUEROR

  Death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily.

  —Napoleon Bonaparte

  I chose Napoleon Bonaparte for this section precisely because of how obvious, how household, his name has become. Napoleon, in name, has become bigger than the man himself, and his legacy is rife with urban legend and misinterpretation. He is simultaneously regarded as one of history’s greatest heroes and vilest villains. He has been called both the father of modern democracy and of fascism.

  Napoleon was born on August 15, 1769, on a small island in the Mediterranean called Corsica. Around the time of Napoleon’s birth, Corsica was attempting to gain independence and the French had invaded. Born under the umbrella of one war, Napoleon would eventually die under that of another—his own war. When Napoleon was only ten, his parents sent him off to a military academy near Paris. He devoted himself to studying the military tactics of the time, which eventually paid dividends when he was appointed, at age sixteen, to lieutenant in the artillery division. In less than eight years, he would make general. This was around the time that the revolution broke out in France, and he joined up with the French Revolutionary Army.

  In late 1795, the government asked Napoleon to defend the palace that held the National Convention. He, along with a small army of men, overcame more than one thousand opponents in a matter of minutes. From that day, Napoleon was regarded as a French hero. With the current military directory in shambles, Napoleon saw his chance to lead and, in November 1799, staged a coup d’état in which five hundred of his soldiers took over a chamber of the national legislature and drove out the remaining members, leaving France to be governed by three consuls and naming Napoleon the first of these. These acts were followed by the creation of a plebiscite in which the citizens had the right to vote on issues with a simple yes or no. Four years later Napoleon would name himself emperor, even having the pope crown him. Many today recognize his coronation because of the famous painting by Jacques-Louis David that depicts it. Napoleon would again find himself in the middle of a war-driven state as the Third Coalition formed and brought war against France. In winning these wars, he would create the First French Empire. Eventually driven out of the empire by Russian tsar Alexander I, Napoleon died in exile on May 5, 1821.

  Napoleon’s biography here is deliberately brief because I believe that his reputation speaks for itself. He is one of the best-known conquerors and military commanders in history. So, what can we learn from him? The following section presents important “Napoleonic” thoughts about leadership and power.

  “WHEN YOUR ENEMY IS EXECUTING A FALSE MOVEMENT, NEVER INTERRUPT HIM”

  This quote, in various iterations, has been attributed to Napoleon, and whether he actually uttered the words, he certainly applied this philosophy to his wartime strategies. Napoleon recognized the need to understand an enemy’s motivations, habits, and character, and like most wartime references, the advice can easily be applied to the business and social worlds. Make no mistake: Business is war. Life is war. Every day, someone wakes up with the same desire as you. Whether one of you achieves what you desire depends on how effectively you wage war against each other. Whether this “war” is actually violent is immaterial; it is still a contest in which the winner gets the spoils. Civil society and nature are not so different in their themes.

  The term enemy, by modern interpretation, is not politically correct. We’re supposed to help each other, to love each other, to support each other. But I don’t see competition and collaboration (between “enemies”) as mutually exclusive. I’m not talking about beating someone up, stealing, or committing crimes. I’m talking about beating others at whatever game you want to play, following that game’s rules. If the game is business, then your enemies are everyone who wants the job that you want or the job that you have, and your goal is to do better, appear better, and sell yourself better to those who are hiring or buying. Your coworkers, even if they are your friends and family, are your enemy in the context of business. Think of playing a board game—you are playing with friends, but you are still playing to win. This might make them irritated with you if you win too much, and that quality is telling. If you are the type who plays to win and not for fun, and if you are the type who does not mind if your friend gets irritated and flips the board over afterward, y
ou have a chance in the outside world. Many think “that guy” who plays to win is boorish, overly competitive. I disagree, and I think that sentiment comes more from jealousy than it does from a mere desire for a good time. Regardless, one can play to win during a game of Monopoly, and truly try one’s hardest to undermine and sabotage and conquer the other players, while maintaining friendships afterward. Anyone who cannot do this, who cannot separate the two, is deadweight to you.

  The term enemy generally refers to your competition. But there is also a more insidious enemy out there: you. Yes, you are also your own worst enemy. When you wake up in the morning to a buzzing alarm clock, what is the first thing you want to do more than anything? Most likely, it’s to shut that noise off and go back to sleep. That’s the enemy I’m speaking of. To know your enemy is to set two separate alarm clocks or, hell, to even put your alarm clock across the room so you can’t just reach out and slam the snooze button. The heart of the lesson here is this: know yourself, know your weaknesses and your strengths, and you will be closer to obtaining the power you seek. You must learn to defeat your own weaknesses just as you would learn to take advantage of an enemy’s weaknesses. This is because, as Napoleon says, someone out there is waiting for you to sleep in, to make that mistake, to lose your resolve.

  When the enemy is your competition, things are more obvious. In our polite modern society, you can be friendly with your enemies, dine with them, socialize with them. In fact, if your enemy is currently embroiled in the field of study, or career, or social group you wish to conquer, then it behooves you to befriend your enemy as a strategy. But that does not mean you are no longer enemies—your goal is still to best them as effectively as you can. Not all positions of power are mutually exclusive: sometimes there is room at the top for more than one person. But usually there is just one job opening, or one potential spouse, or one piece of cake. You want it, and so does your enemy. So, in spotting the pitfalls that you yourself may fall into, you should avoid them while simultaneously taking advantage of the fact that your enemy may not avoid them effectively. The alarm clock example is apt here: if you have trouble waking up in the morning, if it pains you to do it, odds are that it’s hard for most everyone else as well. In that case, you should wake up extra early, get to work that much earlier than your fellows. Be the first to arrive every time. Sounds hard, doesn’t it? Well, it sounds hard to your competition too, and therein lies your advantage. If you are willing to go that extra, difficult step, and your competition is not, then you have allowed them to make their own mistakes and you have filled the void they have left open with your presence.

  Allowing someone else to make mistakes that you recognize is not necessarily sabotage—it is merely staying in your own lane, observing what doesn’t work and avoiding those pitfalls yourself. It is every individual’s prerogative to do this for themself, and it is not anyone else’s responsibility to coach you through any of life’s “wars.”

  EDUCATE YOURSELF

  I said it in the Machiavelli section, and I’ll say it again now: read, read, read. There is a reason we constantly hear the old adage “Knowledge is power.” Because it is true. Knowledge is your best weapon, your only advantage against any enemy or hardship. The more you know, the more power you can achieve. In Napoleon’s words: “Read and meditate often about history: this is the only true philosophy . . . [R]ead and meditate about the wars of the Great Captains; that is the only way to study war.” In the war of life, your mind is your weapon and knowledge is your ammo cache.

  TRUE POWER IS EARNED, NOT INHERITED

  Napoleon was one of, if not the earliest, champion of meritocracy in military ranking. “It was . . . most probably Napoleon himself, who brought the first truly modern military staff into existence,” said George Nafziger, an American military historian, and this was due to Napoleon’s consistent raging against the common practice at the time to poach the aristocracy to replenish the ranks of soldiers, simply because they were “noble.” After 1800, under Napoleon’s rule as premier consul, that began to change. Soldiers began to ascend purely based on their prowess in battle, not because of their nobility or their family ties. Today, in a democracy like America, we must remember that greatness can come from anywhere, no matter how humble the beginning. If you are assembling a team to help you achieve greatness, your only prejudice should be the abilities of your team members to get the job done—nothing more, nothing less. It does not matter if they are rich or poor, though being rich means access to resources, which helps. But a hardworking, talented impoverished person is more valuable than a lazy, incompetent rich person. Meritocracy is the name of the game, and after Napoleon put this into practice, he began to win battle after battle. The archaic world around him, much of which still believed in the concept of “noble blood,” was likely flabbergasted as to why Napoleon’s soldiers, captains, and generals were the best on earth. That is because Napoleon knew what you should know: that you only hire people who will get the job done, no matter where they come from.

  IF YOU WANT IT DONE RIGHT, DO IT YOURSELF

  Napoleon did not merely tell his soldiers when and where to fight; he went out there with them. While other monarchs were satisfied to sit in comfort behind palace walls, issuing orders through letters and middlemen, Napoleon was on the front lines. Because of this, he was better able to survey the battlefield, communicate his orders, and react expediently to changing circumstances. In addition to being practical, this hands-on approach is inspiring. Who would you rather work for, the boss who relaxes in Malibu all day and sends e-mails telling other people what to do, or the boss who, when he orders overtime, stays in the office with you and works just as hard, right alongside you? This is a way to court charisma: We are all in this together, and I am your fearless leader. If you wish to lead, be hands-on, lead from the thick of it, and you will likely find that people are more enthusiastic about following you and granting you power.

  SPEAK WELL AND BE CONVINCING

  Rhetoric is a powerful force. Someone who has been compelled by inspirational speech to hope can endure a lifetime of suffering and continue on. Certain winning presidential campaigns have been based entirely on the charismatic rhetoric of the candidate. Whether you are running a business, leading a country, or seeking power in a social group or a relationship, you must encourage those looking to you for answers. Otherwise, you will soon find them seeking other employment, or a new friend, or a new spouse. Without proper communication of ideas, there can be no productivity. Here, we see again a version of Machiavelli’s precept on public opinion: it matters. If you can paint a picture with words and if people enjoy listening to you, they are more likely to grant you the power to accomplish what you need to accomplish. Your team at work has a deadline? Inspire them—your tenacity and your gung-ho attitude are the reasons this will get done, at least as far as they know. Lead your fellows into battle with your charisma and your enthusiasm and your words. Court the love and admiration of those around you, and pay close attention to how they respond to your efforts. So says Napoleon: “Public opinion is the thermometer a monarch should constantly consult.”

  For an example of someone who achieved power almost entirely from his manner of speaking and his monumental wit, we turn the clock forward . . .

  WINSTON CHURCHILL

  THE ORATOR

  Success always demands a greater effort.

  —Winston Churchill

  Winston Churchill was born to an English lord and the daughter of an American millionaire, and despite a speech impediment (a reportedly excruciating lisp), he lived a relatively normal life for an English child in the late 1870s. Churchill spent most of his time in and out of boarding schools until he applied for and gained entrance in (after two failed attempts) the British Royal Military College.

  The overcoming of an early disability is another quality seen in many successful leaders, and the telling and retelling of these stories is an important mental exercise. There will always be times,
in this unfair world of ours, when you will feel as though the odds are stacked against you—because they will be stacked against you. But you will come to find that the majority of the great figures of history have been faced with very difficult obstacles initially, hence their greatness for overcoming them. Churchill’s obstacle was his speech impediment, which he had to surmount not only to become the British prime minister, but to eventually become one of the most renowned speakers in all of history.

  That effort in the face of truly unfair circumstances is the only thing standing between all of us and figures like Churchill. Yes, it was unfair that Churchill couldn’t speak well. So what? He kept going and is now considered the prime example of rhetoric as inspirational and political tool. In Churchill’s own words: “It is no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.” How we feel about our circumstances—the asymmetries in our luck, our shortcomings, and the head starts of others—do not matter. Results are what matter.

  From 1895 until 1899, Churchill served in the army, while also writing war correspondence for British newspapers. When he left the service, he continued his work as a war correspondent. While on the job, he was captured and kept as a prisoner in South Africa during the Second Boer War, until he eventually escaped. To do this, he traveled three hundred miles on his own, a feat for which he received a considerable amount of press. Once again, was there something inherent in him that allowed him to do this? By my lights, it was only tenacity, the unwillingness to give up, that made all of this possible. Which means it is possible for you too. Churchill would follow his tours of action and reporting with politics, becoming a member of the British Parliament in 1900. He became the president of the Board of Trade, then the First Lord of the Admiralty, modernizing Britain’s naval fleet, then on to Secretary of State for War, for Air, and for the Colonies. Various controversies and political fragmentations in his party had Churchill defeated in the 1922 general election. He switched from the Labour Party to the Conservative Party, but he again met with defeat in the 1929 election.