Never Outshine The Master

By; Admin

Most of people have a Bos, and so will You. Your Bos is positioned as higher ranked man then You as one of his subordinates. So, never outshine your Bos. Let Him looks more bright and smarter then You. You will be like Galileo story  with Medici family if you follow the law. While You will be like Fouquet with King Louis XIV if you transgress this law.

” … Finance Minister Fouquet unintentionally outshone his master, King Louis XIV, making the King feel insecure by throwing a lavish party that would show off Fouquet’s connections, cultivated manner and charm. Thinking this move would make him an indispensable asset to the king, Fouquet had actually offended his master who did not like the fact people were more charmed by his finance minister than by him. The King found a convenient excuse to get rid of Fouquet.”

“…Galileo was clever in observing this law by giving glory to his patrons. In order to solve his perennial problem of funding, he dedicated his discovery of the moons of Jupiter to the Medicis, since the royal symbol of the Medici family was the planet Jupiter. He then commissioned an emblem for them, with each moon representing one of the sons who revolved around the patriarch. The Medici family became his major patron, appointing him their official court mathematician and philosopher, thereby giving him a more comfortable life and a steady salary”.

Practically, this Law of Power -1 tell us to conduct such these:

• Present your ideas in such a manner that they may be ascribed to your master, or could be viewed as an echo of your master’s thoughts.
• If you are more intelligent than your master, act as if you are not.
• Never take your position for granted.
• Never let favors you receive go to your head.
• Discreet flattery is much more powerful. Make it seem like you want to seek his expertise and advice.

You can get whole description about 48 Laws of power, here.