Wednesday

48 Laws of Power: Seven

Get others to do the Work for you, but Always Take the Credit


Use wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what others can do for you.

At first glance this smacks of absolute trickery and manipulation, but if you look closer you will see that this law is the markings of a great many successful leaders.

When you think of Microsoft only one name comes to mind, Bill Gates. However, there is no way possible for Bill Gates to do all that is required for Microsoft to maintain it’s dominance without the assistance of others. Yet he gets the glory. Only the flip side, he gets the troubles, but that’s another post in and of itself.

In order for you to ascend to the heights of power whether it be in your own business, corporate America, or the public sector, you will have to acquire the skill of getting others to buy into using their skills to benefit you and your vision. Those who fail to employ this skill will forever be amongst those known as “the worker bee.”

It is fine to start out as a one man show, but at some point in order to get to the top, you have to bring in others. Sure, you may have to compensate them, but that is the cost associated with ascension. Having been in business myself, I will let you know that this isn’t always easy. Even in the workplace you find it difficult. I’m sure you know someone who does just enough to get by as opposed to working to get the team on top. The goal is not to just get people to work for you, but to get people to take ownership to the point that they live to push you and the team to victory. Not everyone has this ability, but those that do will find that they couldn’t possibly be where they are without the help of those around them. Develop this art, it will serve you well.



About the host:
Rich Fitzgerald is the author of the short story "One to Remember" featured in Love and Redemption (Bloggers' Delight Vol. 1), a collection of short stories by authors who blog. To read excerpts or to order a copy of the title, visit i-Lit. The book is also available on Amazon.

12 comments:

neshia said...

I OWN 5 HOME BASE BUSINESS AND IS NOT EASY BUT I DO MY OWN WORK MY SELF TOO GET THE TEAM TO VICTORY

Unknown said...

How true.
I was reading about Oprah and they had a picture of her and her team.
Oprah got it started, she is the face but, she ain't doing it all by herself. And she has a dedicated team.
So I believe if you believe in you, and are willing to work hard to get there, and you assemble a team who believes in you then you can't be stopped.
I also think you have to treat your team with respect in order for them to want to own what you are selling.

Anonymous said...

A house is not complete unless every single nut and bolt, and layer of wood works together to form the finished product. If something is missing that interferes with the operating of the home, the realization is that the part needs to be replaced or fixed so that the home can be back in working order, fully functioning. This is the same for any business. Most successful businesses, some how or the other, have come into existence because there was someone else that helped them or encouraged them to get where they are. There is so much behind the face of any business.

12kyle said...

@ Rich
So true! If people feel that they have a part in the ownership then you'll get more out of them

Good post, bruh

Anonymous said...

I read the 48 laws. Robert Greene, who also wrote The Art of Seduction, is a master at being cunning...LOL

ShellyShell said...

I've read this book and keep it handy when I need to go back to reference something. I think this rule is so true. There is so much behind the face of buisness. Take Jack Welch the former GE CEO he was considered an innovator because of his management strategies and leadership style but if it wasn't for the workers for GE then he would not have recieved all the accolades!

Sista GP said...

There is another downside of this law.
I know a person who HAD perfected this law. That was until all the "helpers" bailed when learned she was taking credit for all the work and hiding their assistance.
She is catching H3LL right now.

All-Mi-T [Thought Crime] Rawdawgbuffalo said...

that law is the complete opposite of my post to day "work hard and don’t complain"

guess i aint got no power

Rich Fitzgerald said...

@ torrance - not necessarily, you are just at the beginning phases of your business, so that's a great philosophy to live by.

Unknown said...

Do you think that being the "brandmaker" for a company is the same as taking all the credit? Bill Gates was the first repetitively filmed/shot face for much of Microsoft's marketing for a long time, and customers (like me) connected his face to the brand Microsoft. I'm interested in hearing from others the difference between "brand people" and "credit-takers"--as long as I'm not taking the blog on an unwanted tangent.

Rich Fitzgerald said...

@new man -- great question. I think there would be a difference between brand people and credit takers. For instance, lets look at Athletes. While Michael Jordan is responsible for selling a whole lot of shoes because he's the face of a brand, you wouldn't necessarily associate him with Nike's success. When I think in terms of Nike's success, Phil Knight comes to mind. See the difference?

Shelia said...

Good advice.