the art of leading

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Clear goals will take you further

Alphonse “Scarface Al” Capone was a ruthless murderer. But he also had a dogged determination to reach his goals. The ultimate one was to dominate the criminal scene of Chicago-and dominate he did. Over time he was the most powerful man in the Chicago crime scene. His power expanded from downtown Chicago all the way to its most suburban areas. But there is something to learn from this madness: this was his goal from day 1. He would not accept anything less. It wasn’t enough for him to win a war against the North Side Gang-he had to completely decimate it and earn total control.

What can we learn from Scarface? For starters, his non-complacency. The man always had a higher step to climb. In business and in life in general, many aspiring leaders set goals only to be unwilling to put forth the effort that is required to reach it. Many stop short just because they believe that what they have gotten is enough and there’s no need to keep striving for more. Well, I’ve got news for those people: you’re just lazy. Complacent people never go out of their comfort zones to explore the possible depths of their possible achievments.

Persistence pays off. The most successful Mafia leaders know that their goals wouldn’t be reached overnight. A lot of small events need to occur: befriend key people, gain the trust of the higher ranks, slowly chip in at the power structure, do a couple of ‘favors’, and so on. They know they have to climb up the ladder and lay the foundations of power. In other words: attaining leadership prowess requires a large dose of patience. Normal people aren’t exempt from that rule. Even so-called “born leaders” usually don’t reach the apex of their influence without being patient.

Another Mafia tip regarding goals: when working them out, you need to be decisive. Countless Mafia leaders, from Luciano, to Lansky, to Siegel, to Genovese, to Costello, to Capone, have botched operations. Al’s famous St Valentine’s Day Massacre was perhaps the worst of them all. But indecisiveness wasn’t a common trait in that group. Disastrous blunders didn’t keep them from being sure about what they were doing. Perhaps they learned and changed their strategy next time, but they were just as decisive with their next action. Indecisiveness in the Mafia is synonymous with giving opportunities to the enemy. In the business world, indecisiveness is synonymous with giving opportunities to the competition. It also gives way to half-hearted effort, since you are unsure of wether the action you are taking is the right one. Well, even if it turns out to be a mistake, don’t hesitate while you are in the middle of it.

Categories : General Leadership, Goals, Mafia //