I have read several books this year, but I must admit that The 48 Laws of Power has touched my life differently and made me feel like I am born again in the world of books.
When I told Jane I would read this book, she told me she had read it a long time ago; I asked her, where was I? She said you were reading other good books, but I doubt that.
Back to the business, I recommend this book to anyone who likes reading, but even those who don’t like it because they are constantly struggling for power, or those who are already in power, you will have nothing to lose reading it.
I have learned a lot from this book. I can write several pages narrating, but allow me to highlight the ten most important lessons I grasped.
Never Outshine the Master
There is a reason why Robert Greene put this as the first law of power. Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. Never do anything that will make you seem more intelligent, talented or superior to your master. In whatever you do, make your master appear more brilliant, and you will attain the height of power. But Robert says if your master is a falling star, there is nothing to fear from outshining him/her.
Always say less than necessary
The point Robert Greene is making here is that the more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish or perhaps what may put you in trouble. There is a say in Swahili that lairs are talkative, don’t be one of them. Speak less as powerful people do.
Guard Your Reputation with Your Life
Reputation is the cornerstone of power. It is why people (leaders) are usually advised to know when to step down to protect their reputations. When it slips, however, you are vulnerable and will be attached on all sides. Don’t let anyone get too close to ruin your reputation; attack and thwart them before they get to you.
Appeal to People’s Self-Interest
May you don’t know it, but it’s true, nobody cares about your problems, everyone is looking at their interest. So when asking for help, please do not bother to remind people of the past assistance and your good deed to them, but to win their support, uncover something in your request that will benefit them and emphasise it out of all proportions.
Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power
Eventually, things will get tough for you in whatever you are up to, but the point is, never surrender, but instead appear to surrender. That will give you time to recover and then come back and conquer the world. Your new business is in a coma, don’t give up; take a step back and assess where things went astray, then come back energised and prove that you can.
Master the Art of Timing
Rule, never seem to be in a hurry, as it betrays a lack of control over yourself over time. In whatever you do, know when is the right time to act, when to say what, to whom and how. Learn to stand back when the time is not yet ripe and to strike fiercely when it has reached fruition.
In Victory, Learn When to Stop
The moment of victory is often the moment of peril. You might ask why? In the heat of victory, people tend to relax and be overconfidence which is terrible because your competitors are doing whatever they can to bring you down, so stay vigilant. In the realm of power, stop as soon as you reach your goal; keep on pursuing may destroy what you achieved. Zidane left Real Madrid after winning several trophies so he can’t ruin the reputation and the record, like what happened to Claudio Ranieri. When you leave or stop at the right time, history will hold your standard higher.
Assume Formlessness
Nobody will manage to sabotage your plans if you never reveal them to you in the first place. They cannot prepare a defence if they don’t know what you are up to, so keep them in the dark and take steps ahead so that when they realise, it’s too late. Also, don’t be predictable; change according to environment and time. If someone asks for your opinions, ask for his/hers, then support them, don’t reveal yourself to them.
Never Reform Too Much at Once
People like changes, but people are creatures of habit. Never heard people say, “That’s not how we do things over here?” They say that because they are not ready to change. But what should we do? Should we abandon changes? No, but it should not be too much at once since it will lead to revolt. Impose gradual change, and respect the old way of doing things.
Act like a King to be Treated like One
One thing you learn from those nine words is that how you position yourself will determine how people will treat you. If you act vulgar every day, people will disrespect you, for the king respects himself and inspires the same sentiments in others.
I didn’t want this to be long, that I had to pick these few things among hundreds of what I learnt. Mind you that everything said here has its reversal, so don’t take it for granted; chew well before you swallow.
This review is written by Dickson Mushi. Find him on Twitter here.
