the art of leading

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Implement systems

The Mafia Families run on smooth systems. Of course, these systems may be subject to occasional shake-ups. But as soon as they pass, the system gets back into place. Let’s see what this system is. Generally, with minor variations, all Families have a fundamental power structure. It consists, top to bottom, of the following: don, underboss, capo, and soldiers. The consiglieri is supposed to be an independent ‘neutral’ figure, although in practice that’s somewhat uncommon.

I want to make this clear: I do not agree with these types of stiff hierarchical structures. They lend themselves to antiquated ‘do as I say because I’m the boss’ type of leadership, as happens in the Mafia. Today’s leadership is more of a horizontal and ‘collaborative’ type, and I believe it is more effective. Nevertheless, the Mafia structure does have one thing going for it: it is a solid system. Granted, no system should be used as a shield to stay in the comfort zone. But a solid system does provide stability for any type of organization, from a church to a business. The Mafia has stability. As was mentioned in Top 10 Mafia Leadership Lessons - Mentorship, the 5 basic Mafia Families have remained the same in at least one century. Its ’system’ has a lot to do with that fact, I believe.

Part of the success of today’s leaders, particularly entrepreneurs and businessmen, can also be attributed to their capacity to design self-sustaining systems. The success of iconic enterprises such as McDonald’s and Burger King is practically fully dependent on how smooth those systems work. This fact has been covered in books such as The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber. Basically, any reasonable person can be given a manual, study it, and run a unit. This is called the ‘franchise’ style. If something goes wrong, the franchise owner just checks the manual or consults with the central headquarters. Every hamburger is done exactly the same way in Tokyo as in Miami. There may be some extra flavor in one place or the other just to blend more with the different cultures, but generally everything is very predictable. The Sicilian Mafia, the Camorra Mafia, the Calabrian Mafia, the Sacra Coronas Unita, and La Cosa Nostra, as well as McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s have all understood the importance of setting and implementing systems.

Categories : General Leadership, Mafia, Systems //