The Pathways to Power (The rules of The Game )

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 HIGH Values Equal Greater Achievements

In 1987, the respected Gallup poll made a sweeping statement to the effect that America is facing a moral and ethical crisis of huge proportions. The report went on to pose the question as to what happened to the value system that once characterized our society and allowed business to be done on a handshake.

This is a good question, considering that the individuals and companies with higher ethical values appear to have a greater productivity and profitability. That is why I considered this information a vital. Excellent companies seem to develop traits that incorporate the values and practices that are seen to survive decades after leader have left the scene. Businessman J. C. Penny built his business on the “The Golden Rule” of treating employees and customers as he would want to be treated. Milton S. Hershey built the Hershey Corporation on a values base that were based on his own lifestyle. Integrity, industry, benefit to others, and family with community involvement were reflected in the company he founded.

G-R4WJX44F2C

 HIGH Values Equal Greater Achievements

In 1987, the respected Gallup poll made a sweeping statement to the effect that America is facing a moral and ethical crisis of huge proportions. The report went on to pose the question as to what happened to the value system that once characterized our society and allowed business to be done on a handshake.

This is a good question, considering that the individuals and companies with higher ethical values appear to have a greater productivity and profitability. That is why I considered this information a vital. Excellent companies seem to develop traits that incorporate the values and practices that are seen to survive decades after leader have left the scene. Businessman J. C. Penny built his business on the “The Golden Rule” of treating employees and customers as he would want to be treated. Milton S. Hershey built the Hershey Corporation on a values base that were based on his own lifestyle. Integrity, industry, benefit to others, and family with community involvement were reflected in the company he founded.

Ethics, do you have a price?

What do you base your values on? Too often people determine their value with a price. Example, a man asked a woman, “would you go to bed with me for a million dollars?” without hesitation she replied, “yes, then he asked “would you go to bed with me for ten dollars?” she became indignant and replied sharply, “no! what do you think I am?” he said “I know what you are, I’m just trying to find your price.” People with the potential to be successful are allowing price to determine their value. Some have allowed value by position; some by education; some by athletic ability; some by salary and some by physical appearance to be their determining factor.

Observation- There are many things that people put their trust in. Things that people think they can’t live without and will do anything to obtain or control to get the satisfaction that they perceive or think they need. It may even be true in fact but for the most part people are driven by their own self selfishness, desire for gratification, prosperity and glorification. Like the song says, “for the love of money, a woman will sell her precious body, a man will rob his own brother”, and on and on.

But I believe that a wise person, one that may be more conscious of the true meaning of things may have a better chance of navigating the trials and test of life’s path. When one closes his mind to the infinite possibilities of life one only limits their own chances of happiness, survival, promotion and success. So many seek that perfect “thing” where all they have to do is say the magic word, “open sesame” and poof! It magically appears or instant solution. But I tell you there is know easy solution, no magic pill that has the answer and the only way you are going to get there, is to stop blaming everybody else and look inward for the solutions.

One of the first things you need to understand is that there are three things that controls almost every facet of human existence and then when you have some understanding of life you can begin on the journey within. Or you can turn it around one hundred degrees and start your journey with developing your inner self first before approaching the task of living life and enduring the struggle.

The three things I refer to that are the power points of life are summarized as;

1. POWER 2. FAITH 3. LOVE

          WHAT IS POWER?

There are many forms of power, but the dictionary defines power as the ability to do something or act in a way, especially as a faculty or quality or the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of event. Power is most often noted in the attribute that effect people directly as being in control, those who have authority and influence over others. Those that have supremacy and have jurisdiction over certain domains like officers of the law or judges. Their authority is given or delegated by the ruling state or government body. These forces show themselves in association with people who hold authority and influence, especially in the context of business or politics. It also displays potency, strength, force, and energy.

The act of power shows motion so it will always show itself either as showing motion, creating force, like giving energy to a mechanical device as in a power source given to energize by electricity or gasoline fuel to produce motion to perform a task.

To most power means that it is someone stronger than you are, who can do whatever they want without anyone being able to stop them, being in a position where people must obey them because their lives may be their hand. Therefore “laws”, were created so that those who are in positions of great power do not become consumed with their authority and will judge and rule over the mass’s with justice and fairness.

It is Sir John Dalberg-Action who Is best known for saying, “power tends to corrupt, and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men...”. History does bear this out but there are also many examples of leaders that have had power and are of honorable mention, such as Martin Luther King, a Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968, or Indira P. Gandhi who was an India politician, stateswomen and a central figure of the first and to date only female prime minister of Indian.

It seems to me that if their proper checks and balances are put in place and the people that are to be governed have a legitimate voice in their governing and political system the abuse of the abuse of those wielding power is greatly diminished. Some believe in what is called, Healthy or “pure” power is “real” power because it is healthy, having an emotional healing effect. It consists of actions and a set of intentions to restore emotional or mental relationships balance in our life and relation. it is a force we can access to energize emotions in and around us that can generate healing.

Power also has another attribute; it is not necessarily self-sustaining. Take oil, it is a natural resource that is harvested from the earth and is used as fuel to power generators, automobiles, power plants and other things but this natural resource will not last forever, it will run out some time in the future, that's a reality so the powers that be are trying to develop new sources of energy to power the devices we have developed for our way of life. Our sun is another example, our planet is 92.96 million miles from the sun and yet it warms our planet in such a way as to allow life to flourish. If we were any closer it’s rays would burn everything, any further away and we would probably freeze from lack of it’s ray and heat, one day in the future the sun will stop giving it’s light and will go out, of course we all wish not for that day but it is inevitable that it will happen. No more of its life-giving power, what then?

These descriptions of power are limited but there most obvious example is that they exert force and energy. Forces of nature are one of the most destructive and unpredictable acts of power known to man. tornado’s, hurricanes, earthquake, lightning storms, hailstorms, these are but a few of the powerful forces that can be unleashed on mankind at any time. Mankind has used the sciences such as meteorology which is the branch of science concerning the process and phenomena of the atmosphere, especially as a mean of forecasting the weather. Often using satellites, radar, even storm tracking individuals but nature has a will of its own and we are out classed. But we are better off now day making predictions than our for fathers. All they could really use as a source of knowledge was the farmer’s almanac, and whatever knowledge the gained from past activities.

For an assurance the way we view power either as an ability to make creative choices, or an ability to be in control over ourselves and the choices we make over and with others will change our behavior, feelings, our wants, goals and desires in life, either for the better or the worst depending on your values and morals.

In the next few pages I will look at acquiring power, spotting blemish's in those who are in power. Building your own power and traits of a real leader and understanding selflessness.

The Pathways to Power

Some may say there are all kinds of ways to achieve power but, there are only three ways of getting power. Either you are born into it, like monarchy or empirical society, like the English society. An absolute Monarchy, or absolutism means that the ultimate authority to run a state is in the hands of a king or Queen, but in fact the monarch is nominally sovereign but the electorate, through it legislation, exercise political sovereignty. An example is the English parliament who’s duties are check and challenge the work of the government by scrutiny, make and change laws thru it’s legislation, debate important issues of the day and check and approve government spending. So, the monarchy has power even if that of only a figurehead. 

The next path is thru a Democracy form of government. A Democracy is a system of government where the citizens exercise power by voting. In a direct democracy the citizens as a whole form a government body and vote directly on each issue. In a representative democracy the citizens elect representatives from among themselves. The representatives meet to form a governing body, such as a legislature. The third is to seize power by force. Normally by using a “coup d’tat”, or coup for short reference. It is described as a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government by a notable or successful stroke or move and is unusual or unexpected but successful tactic. An example of this is what Napoleon Bonaparte did in 1799. Immediately upon returning from his famed Egyptian military campaign in October 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte began scheming to overthrow the five-member Directory that ruled France. With the support of several high-level co-conspirators, including two of the five directors, Napoleon arranged for a special legislative session to take place outside Paris on November 10. Using a combination of propaganda, bribery and intimidation, he hoped to cajole the legislature into putting him in charge. The lower house instead bombarded him with abuse, chanting “down with the dictator” and chasing him from the chamber. But he managed to prevail anyway by convincing troops to clear the area and then—in an attempt to preserve the veneer of constitutionality—convening a small, handpicked group of legislatures to abolish the Directory and appoint him to a three-member Consulate. Quickly becoming first consul, Napoleon completed his consolidation of power in 1804, when he crowned himself emperor. 

Now that you have some understanding of what “human power” is we will en-devour on how to create your own path to develop you own powers or at least to create some advantages for yourself.

Before you can start a journey of any kind you decide where you want to go, how will they get there, how much will it cost you, and what will you do when you reach your destination? This venture to heighten you own capacity will require you to learn certain laws of etiquette. These rule and laws have been test thru time and are known to be effective in the rise to power.

The rules of The Game 

 Rule # 1; “This above all else to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day.”  Polonaises a character in the play Hamlet say’s this. The play was written by William shakes pear in 1603. To make it a little clearer, when an individual disregards what is commonly observed and noted to be factual, and continues to proceed in a general direction because he has convinced himself of the outcome. It is possible he has convinced himself of a lie. It is one thing to use the scientific method to come to a conclusion but to blindly tread into the unknown is destructive. Simple example;  your car is over heating, you pull over to the side of the road. You have been told never to take the top of the radiator while it hot, but you see steam bellowing out the side of the cap after you open the hood. You think, hmm m, if I can take the top off it will cool down faster and I can make it to a gas station down the road. So you look around in the trunk and find some beach towels. It is fairly large and thick so you think you can loosen the cap to relieve some pressure and make it to a gas station down the road. You spread it across the front of the car and the radiator and push down on the cap and as soon as that cap turns ever so slight, all the fluid erupts and you find yourself burned really bad. You have convinced yourself that this wouldn’t happen but in reality in your mind you knew it would but you lied to yourself that it wouldn’t happen to you. This is a rule you can’t afford to ignore. Never, ever lie to yourself. It is what it is and that is all it is.

Rule # 2; Decide what you want to accomplish, what do you plan on gaining in this en-devour, how much time and effort are you will to invest in whatever it is you want to get the golden ring. It is wise to know that nothing come to you without you paying a price, there is no free lunch. And if you did manage to “pull a quick” victory how long would it last and what would be the quality and substance of it. How bad you want something will definitely play into how far you get in capture the golden ring. So setting goals is a must. The effect of doing this and of concurring a set goal puts you a step closer to the end result and helps you build confidence with each accomplishment. Setting goals is very important and you must set your goals within your reach. It is like taking baby steps until you can walk across the floor. It is also required that that when you each your goal to stop and reassess your situation so you will not keep doing the same thing over and over again. In doing this you can readjust you course of actions accordingly.

Rule # 3; Never think more of yourself than you should. I am not telling you to think you are to good to perform a task that is demeaning or below your personal standards. We should all have a bottom line which we will not go beyond but there will be times when you have to take a lesser stance than you normally would to move forward toward you goal. Also I wouldn’t advise anyone to take a job that is above your physical tolerance but many time a person will refuse to do a job just because they feel it is beneath them. In truth many times you will need to take opportunities that other people dismiss to move forward on you trek to the top. There is a by product of making smaller goal and doing what other people don’t want to do and that is you will gain much needed experience and patience, these to elements are essential in your personal growth and wisdom. Nothing worth while happens over night. I guess the best way to put it is “Blood, sweat and tears equal success.” So to make things more realistic

you should two thing, make your a chart of a goal that you know you can accomplish and create a list of self assessments for yourself, with your “pro’s” in one column and your “con’s in the right column, this way you have it in black and white what you have and need, and what you fall short at. Below is a smart chart you can use to chart you course;

It is extremely necessary to understand that you must no when to stop. Many have lost because they did not know when to stop, reassess the situation and start again, everything changes over time. If you don’t no when to stop you may be left behind or miss out on new opportunities.

 

your “pro “column should follow these topics; skills and know-how, knowledge, experience, networks, talents, education, motivation and desire, energy and confidence. In the con’s column you should follow these cue’s. Time, money or funding equipment, tool, alliances, supplies, materials, technology. These may be things you will need to acquire. Using this as an outline should give you a good idea of how to proceed in your endeavor to getting power because it should help you establish a firm starting point for you to work from.

The steps to gaining power will eventually lead you to those who are at the upper most levels of the control of power, and this will be determined by how strong your desire is to acquire it and how capable you become in executing your duties and your loyalties. During the course of service you should these basic rules, of course they may not all apply but knowledge is power, to be ignorant is self defeating.

Rule # 1; Your appearance should always be impeccable,. When people first see they will examine you from head to toe looking for flaw. If you want to be noticed you must notable. Everything is judged by appearance. The things which are unseen count for very little in grabbing the attention of leaders and those that can direct your direction. You must stand out in the crowed without being to overwhelming. Strive to make yourself a beacon of attention.

Rule # 2; Never ever out shin your boss, especially in front of his boss. Doing this will guarantee blow- 

Back from your supervisor, he will immediately think your out to get his job and will make your life miserable. In your desire to please the hierarchy you may go to far in showing your talents and accomplish the opposite results, in stead try to help your boss appear more brilliant than they are, this will help you attain higher heights of power.

Rule # 3;  you must guard your reputation at all cost. No one will want to do business with you if they perceive you to be a person of poor character and have a poor reputation of handling task’s. You should always be aware of attacks on your reputation and destroy them as soon as possible. Your enemies will do their best to tarnish you reputation because they understand that it is the cornerstone of power. Also understand that if you can open holes in their reputation and stand back you may see the public opinion hang them.

Rule # 4; this is a touchy point but you must address it. Never put to much trust in friends and family in your endeavor to claim power. I know this seems to go against human nature but the facts are that that all people have flaws of jealousy and envy. Or they mat just be short sited and marred by their own restriction and try to project that onto you unwittingly. They may become spoiled or tyrannical. Some say that to put your enemies to work for you because they will try harder to prove their commitment to your success. Thereby the old adage, “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”, but personally I feel that it is best to keep people off balance by concealing my true intentions. You may think that this is a given but you would be surprised at just how much information you give away just in normal conversation. You may gain more ground in reaching your goals by not revealing the true purpose behind your actions. Always strive to say less than is necessary. The more you try to impress people with words the more you seem common and seem less in control. People that have power impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say the more likely you are to make yourself look foolish.

It is best to impress people with your actions and save the words for when they want to give you accolades and praise.

Rule # 5; Win through your actions, and not through your arguments. Any temporary gains you achieve through arguing is actually a fleeting victory. It may cause bitterness or indignation and ill will which in turn will cause stronger and longer lasting negative feelings than a momentary change of opinion. It is much better to get others to agree with you through the action you display without saying to much, demonstrate what to want to exhibit. 

Rule # 6; Make people come to you by using selective honesty and generosity to disarm them.

Bait them in if necessary, a sincere and honest move will cover a dozen of dishonest ones. By forcing the other person to act you are the one in control. Open heart-ed actions of honesty bring down the guard of the most suspicious individuals. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans. Lure him in then attack, you hold the cards.

Before I continue let me share a story I heard many years ago. There was an up and coming detective in this police department in a big city, on his way home from finishing his shift he heard a call come over his radio about a jumper in a high rise hotel. It was was close enough to him that he could reach the location before a negotiator would reach the Scene. So he called in to the dispatch that he was in route, the replied for him to Waite for the negotiator but he continued anyway. He reached the scene, identified himself and went to the floor where all the action was. After identifying himself again he proceeded to develop a dialog with the jumper. The jumper had lost his job, his wife had left him with their daughter. He went on to say his home was being foreclosed and he had no other choice but to end it all. As much as the detective tried to convince the man that it was not worth ending his life the man seemed to lose his will to survive. In a desperate attempt to gain the jumpers confidence he also stood on the ledge with him and tried to get close enough to grab and subdue him. As he got closer the jumper became more incoherent, finally he lunged at him to grab him, but fate would not be kind and the jumper pulled him to his death with him.

Rule # 7;  avoid the unhappy and unlucky. You can die from someones else misery. An emotional state can be as infectious as a disease. you may feel like you are helping a drowning person but you may only be precipitating your own disaster. Sometime people with unfortunate circumstances draw it upon themselves and will draw the same circumstances on you if you are not careful. Do your best to associate with happy and fortunate people instead.

At some time or another we all need help in one way or another, this is why planning is so crucial in setting your goal. “no man is an island unto himself”. You will need help so it is best to consider these next few rules very carefully. Study them, burn them into your memory because they will affect you and the people who are subordinate to you. It will effect you because it may determine how you do your job for those over you and the people under you in the way the respond to request.

Rule # 8; When seeking help do not expect to get it in return for gratitude, or for a favor you did for them, Or mercy for past good deeds done. Not even respect for the position you may hold. It is a dog eat dog world and the sooner you understand that the better of your chances of survival and prosperity. This goes for allies as well as a foe or competition. Humans by nature are selfish and if they can not benefit in some way they are less inclined to help you. But if you have something to offer him or her that will benefit them then they may become more inclined to offer assistance to you. The more you empathize the benefit for them the more they will respond they way you want.

Rule # 9; Knowledge is power, ignorance leaves you at a sever disadvantage. A cheerful disposition, a smile opens many doors that may give you valuable information which will keep you steps ahead of the competition. It is OK to have friends but it is much better to be a spy or use someone else to be a spy about your rival. When in polite encounter probe, ask indirect questions to get people to reveal their weaknesses or intentions.

What do you base your values on? Too often people determine their value with a price. Example, a man asked a woman, “would you go to bed with me for a million dollars?” without hesitation she replied, “yes, then he asked “would you go to bed with me for ten dollars?” she became indignant and replied sharply, “no! what do you think I am?” he said “I know what you are, I’m just trying to find your price.” People with the potential to be successful are allowing price to determine their value. Some have allowed value by position; some by education; some by athletic ability; some by salary and some by physical appearance to be their determining factor.

Observation- There are many things that people put their trust in. Things that people think they can’t live without and will do anything to obtain or control to get the satisfaction that they perceive or think they need. It may even be true in fact but for the most part people are driven by their own self selfishness, desire for gratification, prosperity and glorification. Like the song says, “for the love of money, a woman will sell her precious body, a man will rob his own brother”, and on and on.

But I believe that a wise person, one that may be more conscious of the true meaning of things may have a better chance of navigating the trials and test of life’s path. When one closes his mind to the infinite possibilities of life one only limits their own chances of happiness, survival, promotion and success. So many seek that perfect “thing” where all they have to do is say the magic word, “open sesame” and poof! It magically appears or instant solution. But I tell you there is know easy solution, no magic pill that has the answer and the only way you are going to get there, is to stop blaming everybody else and look inward for the solutions.

One of the first things you need to understand is that there are three things that controls almost every facet of human existence and then when you have some understanding of life you can begin on the journey within. Or you can turn it around one hundred degrees and start your journey with developing your inner self first before approaching the task of living life and enduring the struggle.

The three things I refer to that are the power points of life are summarized as;

1. POWER 2. FAITH 3. LOVE

          WHAT IS POWER?

There are many forms of power, but the dictionary defines power as the ability to do something or act in a way, especially as a faculty or quality or the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of event. Power is most often noted in the attribute that effect people directly as being in control, those who have authority and influence over others. Those that have supremacy and have jurisdiction over certain domains like officers of the law or judges. Their authority is given or delegated by the ruling state or government body. These forces show themselves in association with people who hold authority and influence, especially in the context of business or politics. It also displays potency, strength, force, and energy.

The act of power shows motion so it will always show itself either as showing motion, creating force, like giving energy to a mechanical device as in a power source given to energize by electricity or gasoline fuel to produce motion to perform a task.

To most power means that it is someone stronger than you are, who can do whatever they want without anyone being able to stop them, being in a position where people must obey them because their lives may be their hand. Therefore “laws”, were created so that those who are in positions of great power do not become consumed with their authority and will judge and rule over the mass’s with justice and fairness.

It is Sir John Dalberg-Action who Is best known for saying, “power tends to corrupt, and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men...”. History does bear this out but there are also many examples of leaders that have had power and are of honorable mention, such as Martin Luther King, a Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968, or Indira P. Gandhi who was an India politician, stateswomen and a central figure of the first and to date only female prime minister of Indian.

It seems to me that if their proper checks and balances are put in place and the people that are to be governed have a legitimate voice in their governing and political system the abuse of the abuse of those wielding power is greatly diminished. Some believe in what is called, Healthy or “pure” power is “real” power because it is healthy, having an emotional healing effect. It consists of actions and a set of intentions to restore emotional or mental relationships balance in our life and relation. it is a force we can access to energize emotions in and around us that can generate healing.

Power also has another attribute; it is not necessarily self-sustaining. Take oil, it is a natural resource that is harvested from the earth and is used as fuel to power generators, automobiles, power plants and other things but this natural resource will not last forever, it will run out some time in the future, that's a reality so the powers that be are trying to develop new sources of energy to power the devices we have developed for our way of life. Our sun is another example, our planet is 92.96 million miles from the sun and yet it warms our planet in such a way as to allow life to flourish. If we were any closer it’s rays would burn everything, any further away and we would probably freeze from lack of it’s ray and heat, one day in the future the sun will stop giving it’s light and will go out, of course we all wish not for that day but it is inevitable that it will happen. No more of its life-giving power, what then?

These descriptions of power are limited but there most obvious example is that they exert force and energy. Forces of nature are one of the most destructive and unpredictable acts of power known to man. tornado’s, hurricanes, earthquake, lightning storms, hailstorms, these are but a few of the powerful forces that can be unleashed on mankind at any time. Mankind has used the sciences such as meteorology which is the branch of science concerning the process and phenomena of the atmosphere, especially as a mean of forecasting the weather. Often using satellites, radar, even storm tracking individuals but nature has a will of its own and we are out classed. But we are better off now day making predictions than our for fathers. All they could really use as a source of knowledge was the farmer’s almanac, and whatever knowledge the gained from past activities.

For an assurance the way we view power either as an ability to make creative choices, or an ability to be in control over ourselves and the choices we make over and with others will change our behavior, feelings, our wants, goals and desires in life, either for the better or the worst depending on your values and morals.

In the next few pages I will look at acquiring power, spotting blemish's in those who are in power. Building your own power and traits of a real leader and understanding selflessness.

The Pathways to Power

Some may say there are all kinds of ways to achieve power but, there are only three ways of getting power. Either you are born into it, like monarchy or empirical society, like the English society. An absolute Monarchy, or absolutism means that the ultimate authority to run a state is in the hands of a king or Queen, but in fact the monarch is nominally sovereign but the electorate, through it legislation, exercise political sovereignty. An example is the English parliament who’s duties are check and challenge the work of the government by scrutiny, make and change laws thru it’s legislation, debate important issues of the day and check and approve government spending. So, the monarchy has power even if that of only a figurehead. 

The next path is thru a Democracy form of government. A Democracy is a system of government where the citizens exercise power by voting. In a direct democracy the citizens as a whole form a government body and vote directly on each issue. In a representative democracy the citizens elect representatives from among themselves. The representatives meet to form a governing body, such as a legislature. The third is to seize power by force. Normally by using a “coup d’tat”, or coup for short reference. It is described as a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government by a notable or successful stroke or move and is unusual or unexpected but successful tactic. An example of this is what Napoleon Bonaparte did in 1799. Immediately upon returning from his famed Egyptian military campaign in October 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte began scheming to overthrow the five-member Directory that ruled France. With the support of several high-level co-conspirators, including two of the five directors, Napoleon arranged for a special legislative session to take place outside Paris on November 10. Using a combination of propaganda, bribery and intimidation, he hoped to cajole the legislature into putting him in charge. The lower house instead bombarded him with abuse, chanting “down with the dictator” and chasing him from the chamber. But he managed to prevail anyway by convincing troops to clear the area and then—in an attempt to preserve the veneer of constitutionality—convening a small, handpicked group of legislatures to abolish the Directory and appoint him to a three-member Consulate. Quickly becoming first consul, Napoleon completed his consolidation of power in 1804, when he crowned himself emperor. 

Now that you have some understanding of what “human power” is we will en-devour on how to create your own path to develop you own powers or at least to create some advantages for yourself.

Before you can start a journey of any kind you decide where you want to go, how will they get there, how much will it cost you, and what will you do when you reach your destination? This venture to heighten you own capacity will require you to learn certain laws of etiquette. These rule and laws have been test thru time and are known to be effective in the rise to power.

The rules of The Game 

 Rule # 1; “This above all else to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day.”  Polonaises a character in the play Hamlet say’s this. The play was written by William shakes pear in 1603. To make it a little clearer, when an individual disregards what is commonly observed and noted to be factual, and continues to proceed in a general direction because he has convinced himself of the outcome. It is possible he has convinced himself of a lie. It is one thing to use the scientific method to come to a conclusion but to blindly tread into the unknown is destructive. Simple example;  your car is over heating, you pull over to the side of the road. You have been told never to take the top of the radiator while it hot, but you see steam bellowing out the side of the cap after you open the hood. You think, hmm m, if I can take the top off it will cool down faster and I can make it to a gas station down the road. So you look around in the trunk and find some beach towels. It is fairly large and thick so you think you can loosen the cap to relieve some pressure and make it to a gas station down the road. You spread it across the front of the car and the radiator and push down on the cap and as soon as that cap turns ever so slight, all the fluid erupts and you find yourself burned really bad. You have convinced yourself that this wouldn’t happen but in reality in your mind you knew it would but you lied to yourself that it wouldn’t happen to you. This is a rule you can’t afford to ignore. Never, ever lie to yourself. It is what it is and that is all it is.

Rule # 2; Decide what you want to accomplish, what do you plan on gaining in this en-devour, how much time and effort are you will to invest in whatever it is you want to get the golden ring. It is wise to know that nothing come to you without you paying a price, there is no free lunch. And if you did manage to “pull a quick” victory how long would it last and what would be the quality and substance of it. How bad you want something will definitely play into how far you get in capture the golden ring. So setting goals is a must. The effect of doing this and of concurring a set goal puts you a step closer to the end result and helps you build confidence with each accomplishment. Setting goals is very important and you must set your goals within your reach. It is like taking baby steps until you can walk across the floor. It is also required that that when you each your goal to stop and reassess your situation so you will not keep doing the same thing over and over again. In doing this you can readjust you course of actions accordingly.

Rule # 3; Never think more of yourself than you should. I am not telling you to think you are to good to perform a task that is demeaning or below your personal standards. We should all have a bottom line which we will not go beyond but there will be times when you have to take a lesser stance than you normally would to move forward toward you goal. Also I wouldn’t advise anyone to take a job that is above your physical tolerance but many time a person will refuse to do a job just because they feel it is beneath them. In truth many times you will need to take opportunities that other people dismiss to move forward on you trek to the top. There is a by product of making smaller goal and doing what other people don’t want to do and that is you will gain much needed experience and patience, these to elements are essential in your personal growth and wisdom. Nothing worth while happens over night. I guess the best way to put it is “Blood, sweat and tears equal success.” So to make things more realistic

you should two thing, make your a chart of a goal that you know you can accomplish and create a list of self assessments for yourself, with your “pro’s” in one column and your “con’s in the right column, this way you have it in black and white what you have and need, and what you fall short at. Below is a smart chart you can use to chart you course;

It is extremely necessary to understand that you must no when to stop. Many have lost because they did not know when to stop, reassess the situation and start again, everything changes over time. If you don’t no when to stop you may be left behind or miss out on new opportunities.

 

your “pro “column should follow these topics; skills and know-how, knowledge, experience, networks, talents, education, motivation and desire, energy and confidence. In the con’s column you should follow these cue’s. Time, money or funding equipment, tool, alliances, supplies, materials, technology. These may be things you will need to acquire. Using this as an outline should give you a good idea of how to proceed in your endeavor to getting power because it should help you establish a firm starting point for you to work from.

The steps to gaining power will eventually lead you to those who are at the upper most levels of the control of power, and this will be determined by how strong your desire is to acquire it and how capable you become in executing your duties and your loyalties. During the course of service you should these basic rules, of course they may not all apply but knowledge is power, to be ignorant is self defeating.

Rule # 1; Your appearance should always be impeccable,. When people first see they will examine you from head to toe looking for flaw. If you want to be noticed you must notable. Everything is judged by appearance. The things which are unseen count for very little in grabbing the attention of leaders and those that can direct your direction. You must stand out in the crowed without being to overwhelming. Strive to make yourself a beacon of attention.

Rule # 2; Never ever out shin your boss, especially in front of his boss. Doing this will guarantee blow- 

Back from your supervisor, he will immediately think your out to get his job and will make your life miserable. In your desire to please the hierarchy you may go to far in showing your talents and accomplish the opposite results, in stead try to help your boss appear more brilliant than they are, this will help you attain higher heights of power.

Rule # 3;  you must guard your reputation at all cost. No one will want to do business with you if they perceive you to be a person of poor character and have a poor reputation of handling task’s. You should always be aware of attacks on your reputation and destroy them as soon as possible. Your enemies will do their best to tarnish you reputation because they understand that it is the cornerstone of power. Also understand that if you can open holes in their reputation and stand back you may see the public opinion hang them.

Rule # 4; this is a touchy point but you must address it. Never put to much trust in friends and family in your endeavor to claim power. I know this seems to go against human nature but the facts are that that all people have flaws of jealousy and envy. Or they mat just be short sited and marred by their own restriction and try to project that onto you unwittingly. They may become spoiled or tyrannical. Some say that to put your enemies to work for you because they will try harder to prove their commitment to your success. Thereby the old adage, “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”, but personally I feel that it is best to keep people off balance by concealing my true intentions. You may think that this is a given but you would be surprised at just how much information you give away just in normal conversation. You may gain more ground in reaching your goals by not revealing the true purpose behind your actions. Always strive to say less than is necessary. The more you try to impress people with words the more you seem common and seem less in control. People that have power impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say the more likely you are to make yourself look foolish.

It is best to impress people with your actions and save the words for when they want to give you accolades and praise.

Rule # 5; Win through your actions, and not through your arguments. Any temporary gains you achieve through arguing is actually a fleeting victory. It may cause bitterness or indignation and ill will which in turn will cause stronger and longer lasting negative feelings than a momentary change of opinion. It is much better to get others to agree with you through the action you display without saying to much, demonstrate what to want to exhibit. 

Rule # 6; Make people come to you by using selective honesty and generosity to disarm them.

Bait them in if necessary, a sincere and honest move will cover a dozen of dishonest ones. By forcing the other person to act you are the one in control. Open heart-ed actions of honesty bring down the guard of the most suspicious individuals. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans. Lure him in then attack, you hold the cards.

Before I continue let me share a story I heard many years ago. There was an up and coming detective in this police department in a big city, on his way home from finishing his shift he heard a call come over his radio about a jumper in a high rise hotel. It was was close enough to him that he could reach the location before a negotiator would reach the Scene. So he called in to the dispatch that he was in route, the replied for him to Waite for the negotiator but he continued anyway. He reached the scene, identified himself and went to the floor where all the action was. After identifying himself again he proceeded to develop a dialog with the jumper. The jumper had lost his job, his wife had left him with their daughter. He went on to say his home was being foreclosed and he had no other choice but to end it all. As much as the detective tried to convince the man that it was not worth ending his life the man seemed to lose his will to survive. In a desperate attempt to gain the jumpers confidence he also stood on the ledge with him and tried to get close enough to grab and subdue him. As he got closer the jumper became more incoherent, finally he lunged at him to grab him, but fate would not be kind and the jumper pulled him to his death with him.

Rule # 7;  avoid the unhappy and unlucky. You can die from someones else misery. An emotional state can be as infectious as a disease. you may feel like you are helping a drowning person but you may only be precipitating your own disaster. Sometime people with unfortunate circumstances draw it upon themselves and will draw the same circumstances on you if you are not careful. Do your best to associate with happy and fortunate people instead.

At some time or another we all need help in one way or another, this is why planning is so crucial in setting your goal. “no man is an island unto himself”. You will need help so it is best to consider these next few rules very carefully. Study them, burn them into your memory because they will affect you and the people who are subordinate to you. It will effect you because it may determine how you do your job for those over you and the people under you in the way the respond to request.

Rule # 8; When seeking help do not expect to get it in return for gratitude, or for a favor you did for them, Or mercy for past good deeds done. Not even respect for the position you may hold. It is a dog eat dog world and the sooner you understand that the better of your chances of survival and prosperity. This goes for allies as well as a foe or competition. Humans by nature are selfish and if they can not benefit in some way they are less inclined to help you. But if you have something to offer him or her that will benefit them then they may become more inclined to offer assistance to you. The more you empathize the benefit for them the more they will respond they way you want.

Rule # 9; Knowledge is power, ignorance leaves you at a sever disadvantage. A cheerful disposition, a smile opens many doors that may give you valuable information which will keep you steps ahead of the competition. It is OK to have friends but it is much better to be a spy or use someone else to be a spy about your rival. When in polite encounter probe, ask indirect questions to get people to reveal their weaknesses or intentions.