the art of leading

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Good relationships keep doors open

Leadership, as you probably know, involves having good relationship skills. Positive relationships facilitate the task of the leader by creating a more receptive audience. Followers are more willing to follow you when they maintain good relationships with you and when they trust you. But there’s another reason, and mafiosi know it well: positive relationships keep doors open.

Most high-rank mafia leaders come from the lower ranks. Therefore, people who build good relationships with them while they are at the bottom have a high probability of being dragged up along with them. In the same way, those who create animosity from the beginning will suffer the consequences in the end.

Be it as it may, I’m not in favor of building relationships just for the sake of self-interested convenience. Relationships should be used as ends and not means. But it is impossible to deny these ’side-effects’. Granted, many mafia leaders turn on their ‘buddies’ and betray them. But they know the importance of building a ‘contact list’ early on, in terms of career advancement.

Let’s take the entrepreneurial world as an example. You might be going door-to-door trying to sell your new product.You chat with the janitor while waiting for the shop owner of a particular business. This owner doesn’t want to even hear your pitch. So you just go on your merry way. The next day you come back to the same store and now the owner is happy to display and sell your product! What happened? The janitor told the owner what a great guy you are. Think this is far-fetched? Think again. This kind of scenario happens everyday, and it shows how powerful relationship-building with everyone is, and not just in the Mafia.

Categories : Communication, General Leadership, Mafia, Relationships // Add Comment »

Be confident, not arrogant

Self-confidence is an important part of being a leader. It enables you to act with security and convey authority. It also comes in handy when making tough decisions, since having confidence in your skills and abilities will reassure you about what you are undergoing. Nevertheless, there’s a fine line between self-confidence and outright arrogance. Self-confidence: good. Arrogance: bad. John Gotti learned that lesson the hard way.

After rising to the top of the Gambino Family, he amassed considerable power in the underworld. For a while, Family members liked the fact that the boss exuded an air of “movie-star” quality. He was ‘cool’ and confident. But the ‘coolness’ and confidence went over the fine line. With TV news cameras in front of him day and night because of the different high-profile cases against him, Gotti paraded his handmade suits and always attempted to be the center of attention. The increased publicity, by many accounts, made him a bigger target, subsequently bringing him and the Gambino Family down. Even his own underboss, Sammy Gravano, and many of his capos, later expressed that the correct strategy was to maintain a low profile and not bring too much attention. Gotti didn’t agree, and he payed the price.

Maybe in the personal and corporate worlds arrogance won’t bring you as much visible trouble as the Gambino Family had. But crossing the line over from self-confidence to arrogance and cockiness may no doubt bring harmful consequences. For one, most people don’t enjoy being around someone whose main objective is to exalt him or herself. Relationships suffer as a result of those kinds of attitudes, and therefore leadership suffers, since it is based in many ways on quality relationships. In fact, the person who ratted on Gotti, leading him to a life sentence, was his best buddy and underboss Sammy Gravano. So there’s no need to exagerate your ‘confidence’. Just be reasonably sure of yourself and trust in your capacity. But there’s no need to be arrogant. It could lead you into trouble.

Categories : Communication, Confidence, General Leadership, Mafia, Recognition // Add Comment »

Force breeds force

The Golden Rule applies perfectly to most situations in life, and it certainly does in the Mafia: Treat others as you want to be treated. Albert Anastasia was at one time one of the most powerful mafia bosses. He killed his way to the top, becoming famous for his merciless and cold-blooded murders. “Mad Hatter”, as he was known, killed witnesses that would testify against him in court, and even innocent bystanders. In fact, he ordered the murder of a stranger who bragged about being a witness in a high-profile case. He didn’t even know the guy; he just didn’t “stand squealers”. His prolific violence and hunger for killing made him the head of Murder, Inc., the ‘enforcement’ arm of the National Crime Syndicate. Further on it landed him the job of boss of the Mangano crime family (of course, after killing Vince and Phil Mangano, the original bosses).

Now to my point: do you think nice little Albert retired to Orlando and died a peaceful death product of old age? Umm…He was shot and killed as a man of 54 years old, while at his New York City barbershop in 1957, in a peaceful way you might say. Albert’s story isn’t unique. Perhaps his was in the extreme end of the morbidity spectrum. But in no way is this uncommon in the Mafia. What may not be immediately obvious, though, is that this doesn’t apply only to the Mafia.

It is very probable that you have the experience of working for an aggresive and disrespectful boss. Were your feelings toward that person based on love and respect? Or did you harbor dislike or even hate? Surely you didn’t feel too drawn to that person and did the minimum amount of work necessary to please him, and not because you wanted to. In fact, perhaps you and your co-workers plotted to kick him out!

Families (the normal ones, not the organized crime ones) also slip into the dark habit of using force and might to get things done. As a parent you might yell and punish your child because of a minor accident. This is only natural, but when you start turning that into a habit, then your child, after complying externally, will rebel internally. He or she will harbor fear and apprehension toward you for the rest of his or her life.

The important lesson here is this: If you use force upon others, force will be used upon you. It’s as simple as that. So what are modern leaders supposed to do? Persuade others in a manner in which they are happy to be your followers. Instill your values upon them, in a way that they will cherish your leadership. This will not only favor your permanence as a leader, but will also produce positive energy in the workplace, your home, or wherever your circle of influence is.

Categories : Communication, General Leadership, Mafia // Add Comment »

Alliances

In 1929 a group of crime organizations attended a special meeting. In this meeting were the most powerful crime bosses in the US, among them Meyer Lansky, Al Capone, Albert Anastasia, Johnny Torrio, Frank Costello, and Lucky Luciano. What came out of this meeting, as revealed by Senate hearings in the 1950’s, was the birth of the National Crime Syndicate. Luciano and Lansky, who are recognized by many as the main founders, proposed this organization as a multi-ethnic alliance that was to deal with common problems. It obviously was much more than that. They had a thirst for power that would only be quenched by a Mafia Empire. Nevertheless, they identified some common issues that were better dealt with by forgetting temporarily about their differences, such as foreign ‘intrusion’ in their schemes. With this mindset, the Italian mobsters were able to take advantage of the Jewish Lansky’s contacts with Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista, African-American gangsters were protected by Italians, and so on.

Today’s leaders should use this example to form their own alliances. Napoleon Hill, in his classic book Think and Grow Rich, calls this concept the Mastermind Group. The basic idea of this is to take advantage of the ideas and expertise of others. It is common to realize that ideas come more freely when they are being discussed in a group than when you’re alone. I certainly do not have a scientific explanation for this. But I am certain that when talking about alliances and mastermind groups, 1 head + 1 head = 10 heads.

This lesson, as can be seen, has two similar variances: the alliance and the mastermind. What the American Mafia did with the National Crime Syndicate was an alliance. They used each group’s resources to the advantage of everyone involved, to strive for one common goal. The mastermind is more of a ‘brainstorming’ alliance. In this variation, groups may discuss certain issues or ideas which later on will perhaps be used to strive for individual goals. Use both approaches. Perhaps your organization has great ideas but can’t make them reality because of scarce resources. In this case, you may ally yourself with another organization which has the resources, and both could share the profits. Or maybe you are an entrepreneur and are stuck with a specific business idea. You could form a mastermind group where everyone pitches in to refine your idea. The key is to use the brains of others and share yours. That will create exponential value.

Categories : General Leadership, Goals, Mafia // 1 Comment »

People like money, but they also like recognition

I won’t try to kid anyone here: of course mafiosi want money. In fact, the central purpose of the Mafia is to move and produce money. Families exist to create multi-million dollar fortunes. Really successful Mafia leaders become filthy rich, and they do whatever they think will work. Anything goes, from drug dealing to illegal gambling to other illegal schemes. In fact, some dons have been known to be extremely good businessmen in totally legitimate ventures.

While all that is true, it is also true that they also work for the cachet of being called ‘capo’ instead of being just a gopher, or don instead of capo. Not only will this bring them more money, but also a better reputation and standing. Those kinds of promotions do a lot for the egos of many people. Just being referred to with a different title, or being recognized in front of a group, does wonders for their self-esteems.

In the same way, leaders in other areas of life can apply this lesson. In fact, many of today’s most successful businesses have applied it and have seen its fruits. Money-based bonuses and awards have been shown to be ineffective in terms of self-realization. The productivity of employees who are recognized in other ways, on the other hand, has increased dramatically. Sometimes all that is necessary to spice up your leadership is to call someone ‘don’ instead of ‘wise guy’. It can do wonders.

Categories : General Leadership, Mafia, Recognition // 2 Comments »

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 // Add Comment »

Think ahead-be prepared

In the Mafia, Families maintain a position roughly equal to that of Vice-President in business terms. They call that person the Underboss. The Underboss is the second-in-command of the family. Their specific tasks may vary from family to family. Sometimes they have autonomous power to run a large part of the business ventures with the sole obligation of reporting to the don, who’s #1. Other times that person doesn’t have such broad capacity. The most common thread, though it varies, is that the underboss is frequently groomed to replace the don in case of death or incarceration.

This is a perfect example of planning for the future. It involves putting the future of an organization in the top of the priority list. Granted, many leaders in many walks of life have been great icons without having a succession plan in place. But their organizations have faltered after their exit. In the Mafia, though, the main Families have remained the same throughout some decades: the Sicilian Mafia, the Camorra Mafia, the Calabrian Mafia, the Sacra Coronas Unita, and La Cosa Nostra (American Mafia). Obviously, the underboss many times has been ousted before becoming don. But the fact remains that the family has created new leaders that subsequently rise to power and guarantee relative stability.

Today’s business world, I believe, should take heed. Many companies hire CEO’s from outside their cultures. Their success is dependant on the “flavor of the day”, evidenced by the high turnover rates. I’m not saying this is inherently bad: fresh perspectives aid a lot in solving different situations. It’s just that I believe that the best leaders see themselves as having the additional responsibility of assuring the organization’s future and not just think about the present moment. The best leaders should develop themselves as mentors to others. This provides flexibility and security in case of unforeseeable circumstances.

Mafiosi understand the importance of mentorship. You should too. Not only does it bring considerable benefits to an organization as a whole, but it also aids in the personal development of everyone, hence breeding more productivity and loyalty.

Categories : General Leadership, Mafia, Mentorship // 1 Comment »

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 // Add Comment »

There’s a pretty widespread consensus, I would say, about how the Mafia is, basically, bad. What I’ll talk about in this article will not try to prove the contrary. I agree with that opinion: organized crime is absolutely detrimental to society and should be totally shut down. But, like it or not, many Mafia Families have been very successful organizations, wielding a lot of power and money. A big part of that political and economic power has been due to the use of force and violence, which is not a desirable factor. But another significant part is linked with certain leadership tactics and qualities. In the following days I’d like to point out and explain what I believe are the top 10 tactics that everyone should learn from the Mafia. As in the business world, there have been ‘bad’ and ‘good’ leaders in the Mafia and in organized crime in general. The ‘bad’ ones can teach us what not to do, while some ‘good’ ones can teach us qualities that anyone who aspires to exercising influence on others should want to develop.

Before I go on, let me clarify what I mean by the term “Mafia”. Today, the word is used to describe any type of organized crime group. The original sense referred to the organized crime groups of Italian, mainly Sicilian, origin. The Mafia isn’t one general umbrella of crime groups. It’s more of a classification that consists of many Families. Unless specified otherwise, this article uses the Italian Mafia as its focus. So let’s see what are the top 10 things leaders can learn from the Mafia, starting with loyalty:

Loyalty is priceless

Mafiosi hold loyalty in a very high pedestal. Those who aren’t loyal will pay dearly (read: DIE). But apart from violence, many leaders in the Mafia have been famous for creating intense loyalty among their Families through the implementation of various tactics. I believe two are worth mentioning:

The first one is to respect to be respected. This may be seen as a variation of the famous Golden Rule: do unto others as you would like others to do unto you. If you want others to look up to you with a sense of respect, then start respecting them. In the Mafia, people who disrespect their peers suffer the consequences, because they are seen as unworthy of recognition. The legitimate world also works like that. You don’t believe me? Then go out and try to get a promotion after insulting your boss. Or perhaps insult potential costumers and see if they’ll buy from you. It’s human nature to mirror the attitudes of others.

The second way that Mafia leaders garner loyalty is by taking care of their people. That creates a sense of trust and gratitude among the crewmembers that is likely to be repayed with loyalty. Haven’t you noticed what happens when a supervisor treats employees as disposable objects and doesn’t care for their lives? That attitude creates animosity that eventually leads to reduced productivity. They’re unhappy. They want to get rid of that boss. But when employees feel cared for, they usually are much more effective. Mafiosi have their own ways to care for their people. They may give lavish gifts or donate a variety of things. But there are many ways that you can demonstrate care and concern for your followers. Details such as asking about loved ones or talking about common interests are usually enough for people to feel cared for. Another way may be by publicly defending them. The most effective, though, is a show of trust. When people feel trusted, they feel that you think highly enough of them to count on you. Garner loyalty by trusting others, taking care of them, and respecting them. Loyalty is priceless: Mafiosi know it, and you should also know how to get it from others.

Categories : General Leadership, Loyalty, Mafia // 2 Comments »