The Powers of Intimidation

All men in a position of power, whether he’s a site foreman or bouncer, need to rule with a heavy hand at some point or another. There are those who do it too often, losing the respect of their men. Others, not enough, never establishing their position among the crew. However, all of those who rule successfully know the powers of one particular psychological tool: INTIMIDATION.

You could lean into a guy, shoot them a glare, or simply walk the offices with a metal bar. However, it’s not necessarily how you convey it that’s important, just make sure that it’s conveyed. And any dude who tries to convince you otherwise, crying about the abuses of authority, is usually the one who takes the orders, the hits and the beatings in the office.

For those who want to get ahead, or for those who simply want to stay ahead, it’s necessary to understand the advantages of the powers of intimidation. And because all of my close boys deserve a leg up on the rest, I’ve chosen to enlighten you on these powers of intimidation.

Intimidation Commands Respect

Keeping a guy on edge, letting him know you’re not just some dickhead looking to roll with the punches, is important. With an intimidating demeanor, people treat you with respect. It’s natural. They’ll lose their temper with the guy serving them drinks, but they won’t raise a finger to you. However, there’s a difference between rational intimidation and being a straight hard ass. The ones who are out there cracking heads for the sake of cracking heads are trying to compensate for something. Act tough when the situation warrants it. If you need a guy to do a job, and some dude is trying to cheat you, then it’s time to roll up the sleeves.

Intimidation Brings the Best Out of Your Workers

When you call a guy into the office to do a job, whether it’s taking down some boxes or putting down a competitor, you want him to do it right. That doesn’t entail the “try your best” speech because, frankly, no one knows what their best is until they’re pushed there. So, through the powers of intimidation, when they step out of your office, you'd like to think they’ve been nudged in the right direction. You don’t threaten and you don’t yell. You explain they’ve been chosen for something they’re completely capable of doing. Then there is no excuse for failure. Couple this confidence building with the right amount of pressure to yield results. It doesn’t hurt to add in the occasional profanity as well...

Intimidation Weeds Out the Weak

If intimidation brings the best out of some employees, it’ll weed out the incompetent fools who’ve been slipping through the cracks all these years. Survival of the fittest, it’s as simple as that. Everyone is expected to get a little flustered when the powers of intimidation are used on them. They might stammer in your presence, they might sink down in their chair, but the strong will fight through it. Those are keepers. However, the ones who start treating their pants like a latrine, and start crying about not being able to handle the pressure, hand them the last pay check. Darwinism, my friend, is a beautiful thing.

Intimidation Establishes Dominance with Adversaries

Whether sitting down with a car salesman or a competing colleague, any negotiation has a dominant party. And it’s this dominant party that usually gets what they want. So, to increase the odds of a favorable settlement, you have to bring an intimidating presence to the table. I’ve seen guys enter a room like schoolboys ready to catch a beating from the nun. Ill prepared and ready to acquiesce, they walk in with inexperience and walk out empty handed. You got to dress and play the part. You didn’t come to talk, you came to get what was yours. Lean in, be direct and don’t be afraid to bully. They’ll meet your demands.

Get What you Want

Intimidation is a powerful tool. Not even the guidance councilor at your kid’s school can deny that. You can wield someone’s emotions by keeping them on the edge of their seat. You do that and you have them eating out of your hand. But, there’s a method to this (it’s not all madness). If you want a guy to reach his full potential, let him know you don’t stand for less. If you want to see the weak links disappear, see who cracks under pressure. But, if you keep the act up for too long, you’ve lost all the respect you worked so hard for.

the audacious truth