Introduction
In the digital era, leadership and business management have taken a new direction, necessitating advanced skills for handling the complex business industry. Leadership and management are two different concepts in which individuals need to consider the context of their applications for successful operations. Leaders and managers have relied on technical and intellectual capacities for many years to lead people and facilitate economic processes. It is crucial to note that no person becomes great instantly; they have to go through several stages of development to attain their desired levels of expertise. The growth process is filled with healthy and unhealthy competition, requiring leaders to be diligent in their dealings. In The 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene outlines some of the best ways through which leaders and managers can exercise power over their circumstances to become better than their competitors. Greene’s ideas provide a basis for business personalities to evaluate their skills, values, and attitudes and increase their competitiveness in the changing business environment.
Developing Managerial Skills
Power is the basis of all leadership and authority in business and other institutions. Although individuals may want to gain as much power as possible, Greene (2010) advises people to follow the indirect route to power. In essence, how people gain authority and use it determines their leadership skills and influences their management capabilities. Guzman et al. (2020) add that effective leadership is tied to a person’s ability to handle others in any setting, thereby harnessing human and financial capacities for growth and development. Greene (2010) defines this as being amoral, wherein he suggests that power is a social concept that should be carefully addressed. As such, leaders and managers need to understand how well they can lead others, learn from their colleagues, and rise in the leadership structure without being dictatorial. Following Greene’s (2010) perspectives of power, several leadership qualities and skills are crucial for successful business management. These traits revolve around trust, intentions, reputation, and taking action.
Trusting Friends and Using Enemies
A business is inseparable from society since individuals have to interact, forming personal bonds. Friendships are formed by virtue of positive associations in and out of business. In many cases, people have capitalized on friendships to reach new dimensions in business. However, Greene (2010) believes that business success is based on not only acquaintances but also enmity. In the course of doing business, one is bound to make friends and enemies alike. Notably, some enemies are friends with different perspectives and irreconcilable differences. According to Guzman et al. (2020), the diversity of opinions is one mark of a healthy business. While friends may become disloyal, former enemies tend to be more committed to their work. Although companies are founded on trust and commitment, depending on these values from friends may lead to an enterprise’s downfall. Therefore, successful leaders should limit their reliance on friends’ loyalty and use their enemies to gain deeper insights into the work environment and better manage their ventures.
Trust is so crucial that influential leaders have to assess the ingenuity and commitment of their teams before giving them company secrets. Greene (2012) says that although one may think they know their friends well, a dimension is always hidden from the eye. Notably, most rivals develop from a leader’s acquaintances who were close enough to learn business operation tactics and break away to start their operations. In this regard, managers need to understand that one of the industry trends is having employees so eager to learn and develop their own companies. There have been cases in which employees and some top-level leaders leaked business secrets to rivals for monetary gains, which has led to many enterprises’ failure. Therefore, effective leadership calls for a careful analysis of internal and external environments. In essence, a manager who wants to remain in power should not trust their employees to give them sensitive business information.
Hiding one’s intentions
Human relationships, whether social or economic, are guided by intentions. In a competitive environment, people focus on the purposes of their partners and rivals to make strategic moves. Greene (2012) argues that one law of power is hiding one’s preferences, making it challenging for people to follow and possibly, impeding another venture’s success. True power s derived from being in control over one’s rivals. Guzman et al. (2020) comment that the industry is highly competitive and that each player is innovating in a bid to dominate the market. This implies that each firm is keenly observing other players’ strategies to make their own. Therefore leaders must be discreet regarding their business interactions to remain ahead of competitors. While learning from rivals, managers should ensure that their intentions for business growth, expansion, or strategic operation changes are not visible to outside parties. To some extent, managers need to conceal some of the information from junior employees who might be used to access the firm’s production secrets.
Guarding One’s Reputation
Leaders, managers, and businesses are known for the set of values and qualities they have consistently shown over the years. A person’s reputation determines how people view him and influences the extent to which they can exert power in social and economic settings. According to Greene (2012), losing one’s reputation is akin to losing power and control. Business leaders who champion workplace equality and develop a healthy business culture tend to have more influence over those who fail to attain such a reputation. Guzman et al. (2020) comment that a business is as good as its leader’s reputation. Therefore, it is crucial for leaders to establish a reputation of excellence and guard it to prevent themselves from falling behind rivals. A manager’s reputation goes beyond personal satisfaction and aligns with Guzman et al.’s. (2020) view that leadership is about the workforce. It gives managers control over junior staff and enables them to coordinate business activities more effectively, leading to successful operations.
Initiating Action
A leader can be described as an individual responsible for decision-making and project implementation. Although they may not be the ones doing the actual work, leaders have to give direction by providing the resources and plan of action. The role and impact of a leader in team coordination have been one of the most distinguishing factors that set leaders apart from managers (Guzman et al., 2020). Leaders work with the people, while managers work for the company. In today’s globalized economy, managers have to play the role of influential leaders to facilitate business operations. Greene (2012) believes that one can gain and use power optimally by making a point through actions rather than words. One of the critical roles of leadership is to ensure the business succeeds by using available resources within the set timelines to effect changes. Therefore effective management is founded on proactive leadership traits that require one to lead by example and become worthy of following.
Constructively Interacting with Others
Business activities and plans do not always turn out as expected. In some instances, leaders may feel disappointed and turn inwards, isolating themselves from the world around them. Greene (2012) terms isolation as the most dangerous move a leader can make. When a person secludes themselves from the people, they expose themselves to attacks. In essence, leaders would be powerless when acting alone since they have no backup. In addition, separating from other business partners leaves one devoid of crucial information, a factor that contributes to the decline and possible collapse of a business. Along the same line, Guzman et al. (2020) argue that a leader is only productive when they are surrounded by people who depend on them. Otherwise, the authority would have no meaning since there would be no one to direct, control, or coordinate. Therefore, effective leaders and transformational managers should master the art of finding solutions among people instead of isolating themselves and trying to find answers alone.
Applying the Surrender Tactic
Surrender is a tactic primarily applied in military operations but has significant value in business operations. In a highly competitive environment, it is customary to find businesses failing to meet market demands, a condition that may force them to surrender. In the industry, context surrender may constitute company dissolution, mergers, or franchises (Guzman et al., 2020). In many cases, business rivals delight in the fall of others and would do anything to rise above the fallen leaders. Greene (2012) advises managers to surrender before their competitors gain the satisfaction of breaking them. There is always a solution for businesses on the verge of collapse. Productive leaders should be smart enough to know how to survive tough times without being completely destroyed. This is a powerful trait that will preserve a company’s reputation and give it an opportunity to recover from a catastrophe. Notably, the surrender tactic enables managers to plan for recovery, rising above competitors, which is a desired characteristic of effective managers.
Recreating Oneself
Society has predefined roles and values for every leadership level. These traits may not actually represent a leader’s capability, limiting them to a small circle of operation and power. Greene (2012) argues that excellent leadership results from an individual’s self-awareness that enable them to exercise control over others. This implies that managers must refrain from society’s perspectives of good leadership and define their own routes depending on their abilities and mission. Mindfulness is essential in the rapidly changing economic sector, wherein technology and innovation have induced new ways of thinking in leaders and managers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, leadership and management are essential in any business undertaking. While they are defined by different roles and levels of influence, they are connected by the mission to facilitate growth and development. The 48 Laws of Power outlines some of the vital skills and values for productive leadership and management. Research shows that effective leaders should limit their reliance on friends and learn to use enemies while concealing their intentions. They should also guard their reputations and lead by example. Although there may be disappointing times, they should find solutions by working with others and finding the best surrender tactic. Lastly, excellent leaders recreate themselves by knowing their abilities and applying their skills to counter competition.
References
Greene, R. (2010). The 48 laws of power. Profile Books.
Guzmán, V. E., Muschard, B., Gerolamo, M., Kohl, H., & Rozenfeld, H. (2020). Characteristics and Skills of Leadership in the Context of Industry 4.0. Procedia Manufacturing, 43, 543-550. Web.