Book Review: The 48 Laws of Power

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Sep 06, 2024

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Hey Entrepreneurs,

I’ve been thinking a lot about power lately. Not the megalomaniac, world-domination kind, but the type that allows us as entrepreneurs to make a real difference. It got me revisiting Robert Greene’s “The 48 Laws of Power” — you know, that book everyone has an opinion about?

Now, I’ll be honest. When I first read it, I was both fascinated and uncomfortable. Greene doesn’t pull any punches with his take on power dynamics. But the more I mulled it over, the more I realized there’s something valuable buried in there for us ethical entrepreneurs. So, I thought, why not dig into it together?

What if we could take these often controversial laws and flip them on their head? Turn them into something that’s not about manipulation, but about creating positive influence?

That’s what we’re going to explore today.

Before we dive in, let me share a framework I use called the Power Triangle. It’s pretty straightforward:

Resources: This is your tangible stuff — money, skills, connections.
Perception: How others see you and your business.
Influence: Your ability to make things happen and create impact.

Keep this triangle in mind as we go through Greene’s laws. You’ll see how each strategy we discuss touches on one or more of these elements.

Ready to turn some power moves into positive change? Let’s get into it.

The Visibility Game: Knowing When to Shine

We’re kicking off with three laws that, in their original form, are all about image manipulation:

Never Outshine the Master Greene’s take: Keep your talents under wraps to avoid threatening the higher-ups.
Conceal Your Intentions Greene’s version: Keep people guessing about your plans to prevent opposition.
Court Attention at All Costs Greene’s idea: Do whatever it takes to be in the spotlight, even if it’s negative attention.

Now, these might sound pretty cynical, right? But there’s a nugget of wisdom here about strategic visibility. I call it the Attention Seesaw, and it goes something like this:

When you’re just starting out, it often pays to stay low-key. This is your time to learn, to experiment, to make those inevitable rookie mistakes without the whole world watching.
As you start to gain traction, that’s when you gradually ramp up your visibility. Start sharing your successes, building your personal brand, getting your name out there.
And once you’re established? That’s when you play with the balance, knowing when to make big, attention-grabbing moves and when to work quietly behind the scenes.

Let’s bring this to life with an example. Imagine you’re starting a sustainable fashion brand. In the early days, you might focus on perfecting your designs and supply chain, learning from established brands without trying to overshadow them. As you grow, you could start making waves with innovative marketing campaigns or collaborations with eco-influencers. And once you’re a known name in the industry, you might balance between high-profile launches and quieter periods of innovation and improvement.

The key here isn’t manipulation — it’s strategic authenticity. Be genuine, but be smart about when and how you put yourself out there.

The Trust Loop: Your Reputation is Your Most Valuable Asset

Next up, we’ve got what I call the Trust Loop. This brings together three more of Greene’s laws:

So Much Depends on Reputation — Guard it with Your Life Greene’s version: Your reputation is everything and should be protected at all costs.
Get Others to Do the Work for You, but Always Take the Credit Greene’s take: Use others’ skills to further your goals, but ensure you get all the recognition.
When Asking for Help, Appeal to People’s Self-Interest Greene’s idea: People are only motivated by self-interest, so always appeal to that.

Now, in their original form, these laws are pretty cynical. They suggest that you should obsess over your reputation, take credit for others’ work, and always assume people are only out for themselves.

But let’s flip the script. What if instead of manipulation, we focused on integrity, collaboration, and mutual benefit? That’s where the magic happens.

First up, your reputation. Greene’s not wrong — your reputation is incredibly important. But instead of guarding it like a paranoid dictator, think of it like tending a garden. Nurture it with consistent, ethical actions. Be transparent. Own your mistakes. Celebrate your wins, but always with humility and gratitude for those who helped you get there.

Here’s a simple way to think about it:

Start with 10 reputation points
Add 1 point for every good action
Subtract 2 points for every bad action (because let’s face it, bad news travels faster)

Next, let’s talk about delegation and credit. The original law suggests taking credit for others’ work. That’s a one-way ticket to resentment and high turnover. Instead, become a master of amplifying others’ contributions. When your team succeeds, shout it from the rooftops. Be specific about who did what. Not only does this build loyalty, but it also enhances your reputation as a great leader to work with.

Finally, let’s consider self-interest. Greene’s not wrong that people are motivated by self-interest, but he misses a crucial point: most people’s self-interest includes wanting to be good, to help others, to be part of something meaningful. So when you’re asking for help or collaboration, absolutely think about what’s in it for the other person — but think broadly. How can this partnership help them achieve their goals? How can it contribute to a mission they care about? How can it help them grow or learn?

I call this the Win-Win-Win approach. When you’re considering a partnership or asking for help, ask yourself:

How does this benefit me?
How does this benefit them?
How does this benefit our broader community or mission?

If you can hit all three, you’re golden.

Here’s a quick example. Let’s say you’re running that sustainable fashion brand, and you want to partner with a popular eco-blogger to promote your new line. The win for you is obvious — exposure to their audience. The win for them might be a combination of financial compensation, early access to your products, and association with a brand that aligns with their values. And the win for the broader community? You’re working together to promote sustainable fashion choices, potentially reducing the environmental impact of the fashion industry.

By focusing on creating value for everyone involved, you build a network of genuine relationships, not just transactional interactions. And that, my friends, is how you create a trust loop that amplifies your influence and impact over time.

The Flexibility Factor: Adapt, Surprise, Evolve

Alright, let’s tackle our next cluster of laws. I call this one the Flexibility Factor:

Crush Your Enemy Totally Greene’s version: Destroy your competition, leaving no room for retaliation.
Keep Others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability Greene’s take: Keep people off-balance through unpredictable behavior.
Re-Create Yourself Greene’s idea: Carefully craft and control your image.

Whew, these sound intense, right? In their original context, these laws advocate for a pretty ruthless approach to competition and self-presentation. But let’s see if we can find the valuable nuggets hidden in here.

First up, “Crush Your Enemy Totally.” Yikes. In business, we’re not looking to crush anyone. But there is something to be said for committing fully to your vision and not letting competitors hold you back. So let’s reframe this as “Commit to Excellence Totally.”

The idea here is to focus on being so good, so innovative, that you make your competition irrelevant. It’s not about destroying others, it’s about constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in your industry.

For our sustainable fashion brand, this might mean:

Really understanding what other eco-fashion brands are doing
Innovating to make your products and practices even more sustainable
Setting new standards for the industry

Next, we have “Keep Others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability.” Okay, we’re definitely not going for terror here. But unpredictability? That can be a powerful tool when used ethically. Let’s call this one “Cultivate Positive Surprise.”

In business, routine can be deadly. If you’re always doing the exact same thing, you become easy to ignore or outmaneuver. By occasionally doing something unexpected — launching a surprising new product, taking an unconventional approach to a problem, or showing up in an unexpected way for your community — you keep people engaged and excited about what you’re doing.

For your fashion brand, this could mean:

Launching a line of clothing made from a surprising, sustainable material no one’s used before
Creating an unexpectedly delightful unboxing experience that showcases your commitment to zero waste
Partnering with an unlikely but aligned industry to cross-pollinate sustainable practices

Finally, we have “Re-Create Yourself.” This one we can pretty much take as is, but let’s add a caveat: Re-Create Yourself, While Staying True to Your Core Values.

This is about being flexible in your strategies and approaches, but rigid in your ethics and fundamental mission. It’s about being willing to learn, grow, and pivot when necessary, while always staying anchored to your ‘why.’

For our fashion brand, this might look like:

Adapting your designs as trends change
Evolving your marketing strategies to reach new audiences
Maybe even expanding into new product lines (sustainable home goods, anyone?)
But always staying true to your core mission of promoting sustainable fashion

The Flexibility Factor is all about staying agile and innovative, while never compromising on your fundamental values. It’s about being steadfast in your ‘why,’ but flexible in your ‘how.’

The Perception Game: Authenticity Beats Manipulation

For our final set of laws, we’re diving into what I call the Perception Game. We’re looking at:

Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker — Seem Dumber than Your Mark Greene’s version: Make others feel smarter than you to lower their defenses.
Keep Your Hands Clean Greene’s take: Use others as scapegoats and avoid blame at all costs.
Play to People’s Fantasies Greene’s idea: Sell people fantasies rather than dealing with reality.

Now, in their original context, these laws are all about manipulation and deception. They suggest pretending to be less intelligent than you are, avoiding blame at all costs, and essentially selling people a fantasy rather than reality.

But here’s the thing: in the long run, manipulation doesn’t work. It might get you short-term gains, but it erodes trust, damages relationships, and ultimately limits your potential for real, lasting success.

So let’s flip the script and see how we can transform these into strategies for authentic, ethical influence.

Instead of “Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker,” let’s talk about “Practice Humble Curiosity.” The most influential people I know aren’t the ones who are always trying to be the smartest in the room. They’re the ones who are genuinely curious, who ask great questions, who are always eager to learn from others.

For your sustainable fashion brand, this could mean:

Engaging with your customers, suppliers, and even competitors with genuine curiosity
Asking about the challenges they’re facing and the innovations they’re excited about
Using this information to continually improve your products and practices

Next, “Keep Your Hands Clean.” Instead of this being about avoiding blame, let’s reframe it as “Maintain Integrity in All Actions.” This is about being transparent, taking responsibility for your mistakes, and always striving to do the right thing, even when it’s hard.

For your brand, this might look like:

Being transparent about your supply chain
If you discover an aspect of your production isn’t as sustainable as you thought, owning up to it publicly and sharing your plan to improve

Finally, “Play to People’s Fantasies.” This sounds manipulative, but there’s a kernel of truth here that we can use ethically. Let’s reframe this as “Connect to People’s Aspirations.”

People are motivated by their hopes and dreams. As an entrepreneur, your job is not to sell people a fantasy, but to genuinely understand their aspirations and show them how your product or service can help them get closer to those goals.

For your sustainable fashion brand:

Understand that for many of your customers, buying sustainable fashion isn’t just about clothes — it’s about feeling like they’re contributing to a better world
Show them specifically how their purchases are making a difference
Share stories of how your practices are changing lives in your supply chain

The Perception Game, when played ethically, isn’t about manipulation. It’s about genuine connection, integrity, and aligning your brand with the real hopes and values of your customers and community.

Wrapping Up: Your Ethical Influence Playbook

Alright, we’ve covered a lot of ground. We’ve taken some of the most controversial laws from “The 48 Laws of Power” and flipped them into strategies for ethical, positive influence. Let’s recap our key points:

The Power Triangle: Balance your resources, perception, and influence.
The Visibility Game: Know when to step into the spotlight and when to work behind the scenes.
The Trust Loop: Build genuine relationships based on integrity and mutual benefit.
The Flexibility Factor: Stay agile and innovative while remaining true to your core values.
The Perception Game: Connect authentically with others’ aspirations and lead with integrity.

Here’s the beautiful thing about this approach: not only is it more ethical than the manipulation advocated in the original laws, but it’s also more effective in the long run. Real, lasting influence doesn’t come from tricks or force. It comes from consistently creating value, building trust, and helping others achieve their goals.

So, here’s my challenge to you: Pick one idea from this newsletter that resonated with you. Just one. And commit to putting it into practice this week. Maybe you’ll focus on amplifying your team’s contributions, or on approaching a challenge with humble curiosity, or on finding that Win-Win-Win in a new partnership.

Remember, we’re not just building businesses here. We’re shaping the future of what leadership and influence look like in the world. And I, for one, am excited to see what you’ll do with that power.

Scott

10 Minute MBA

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