It’s one thing to know your enemy, but it’s another thing altogether to stay ahead of him. In order to do so, you must have a game plan that you stick to like lint on a cheap suit.
Successful men are decisive. But decisions aren’t made in a vacuum. Any boss who’s worth his weight in gold makes good decisions because he has a clear code that he and his crew abide by. Because the real world has a black-and-white moral code, the easiest way to let your enemy get the upper hand is by sitting on the fence, wondering what to do. As the Irish say when it comes to decisions; Shit, or get off the pot.
In the business world, things are not so clear-cut, but you still need a code, which means you have to develop your own. To stay ahead of your enemy, your personal code will allow you to be bold and decisive, rather than meek and awkward.
Work on Your Poker Face
A few weeks back, I told you dudes how a stern poker face can even any playing field. In the business world, the appearance of strength is at least as important as proven competence. It is for this reason that most of your upper management team is tall, slim, calm, and well-dressed. And if you have a choice, it is always better to be these things than short, fat, bald, and messy. Unlike the underground where a fat slob can rule, in the corporate realm, power follows the dashing.
But let’s return to square one. To maintain a good poker face, you might want to start by laying off the corporate crack that goes by the name of coffee. Drink a strong coffee or two in the morning, then keep your addictive need under wraps. After the coffee experience, on the other hand, you may feel like you’re firing on all cylinders, but there’s nothing as pitiful as a man in the throws of a caffeine fix, all jittery, eyes dilating, and limbs twitching like a junkie, holding his crotch as he speedwalks to the can.
So then, assuming you can cut out the coffee junk, you’re actually well on your way, since no poker face can survive a heart rate that doubles without any exercise beyond riding the elevator. In addition to this, chain smokers now have trouble convincing people they’re not nervous. And the last thing you want is to find yourself nicotine fitting in a meeting, nervously fidgeting, biting your nails, yawning for lack of oxygen, and looking wildly around like a guilty shoplifter.
Know Your Enemy’s Crew
If you have a workplace nemesis, you need to infiltrate his crew. Any enemy that’s worth plotting against has some kind of loyal group of associates who do his field work, report to him and take his orders. Although the demarcations between boss and his mafiosi is less clear in an office setting, power always seduces men who want to be king of the hill.
And because power is structured, it is crucial to have a clearer picture of your enemy’s structure than he has of yours. No matter how “Mickey Mouse” your respective operations are, the upper hand will always go to the man who veils his structure, who keeps his enemy off balance, and who hides his hand because he knows when the enemy is watching.
Check Your Blind Spot
If you’ve ever been cut off in traffic by some jackass with tunnel vision, you understand the importance of the blind spot. Without being paranoid, it is important to keep an eye on what’s happening behind the scenes. Figure out who’s spying on your habits. And for the love of the Godfather (Movie), if you get called in by your enemy, don’t go.
Stick To Business
Having mastered your poker face while building mental files of his comings and goings, keep your interest on the down low. The less he knows about your plotting mind, the longer you can fly under the radar. Meet him head on as a business associate and keep your language neutral and your behavior stealth.
the audacious truth
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