Rule # 1 Never Outshine Your Master
This is the first rule in the power game as clearly explained by Robert greene. You have to let your boss or anyone who is above you come out as smarter than you, find their deep insecurities(Fill them, make them stronger, protect their interests and cover them) and make them feel comfortable around you. It's not your time to show off, cos you might brush them in the wrong way and the moment they identify you as a threat to their current status quo just know you will be gone. Learn to shine in the dark through your work without needing to talk much about it, stop talking and show through results and you will earn your spot/respect. Prove to be an asset to your boss's cause but fight it behind the scenes quietly and when he needs you to show up. As you keep your bosses happy, also focus on the organizational bottom line, be really clear about what matters, like growing the business or growing your department but transfer all credit to your superior. If you keep your head down, no ego and put in the work, you will become an indispensable tool even the haters/naysayers (colleagues who bad mouth you to your bosses) will have to bear with you.
Rule # 2 Trust no one
Realise that you are on your own, everyone in that office is not your friend. They are EAGERLY waiting for your downfall to take up your place or hand it to their relative or someone who they can control (Someone who can always do their bidding without questions). As you don’t trust anyone, don’t show, appear to be naïve, pretending to trust while deep down you know all the snakes in that office. The moment you forget you’re on your own you will be buried deep in a hole you might not get out of. Avoid office gossip if you can, what you don’t know or hear cannot get to you. Just know you’re there to perform your duties to the best of your abilities. Realise it’s a jungle and only the strong and timid that survive.
There is a bible verse I like to refer to always for survival in this broken world.
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16
Rule # 3 It a circus
Realize it’s more like a circus where everyone wants to show how mighty they are or more like who has bigger balls. Be smart, don't go to the circus like a fan, If you have to go, then go with your eyes wide open. Read through the lines like when someone is peddling bullshit to you but just play along. Find the truth for yourself and keep it to yourself cos you want independence of thought, for to live among wolves you have to pretend to be like one of them. Don’t aim to be seen or heard by your peers or seniors(Those on top of you), just show your art through your work, let your work and results speak for itself. No one can hide a masterpiece and if they do it will definitely find its way to the light by default, so pour yourself in work that's the only good fight there is in this world.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” - Colossians 3:23-24
Rule # 4 Vibrate Higher, Avoid Petty Fights.
People will come to you with their deep insecurities and will want to use you to show to others how smart and powerful they are, don’t let that get to you, sometimes it’s just okay to give people a free pass. Other Times you just have to remind them who you are when they step on the wrong button but at all cost avoid petty fights, Conserve your energy, pour it to what is positive and good for you and the organization that's all that matters.
“Never wrestle with a pig because you'll both get dirty and the pig likes it." - George Bernard Shaw
Rule # 5 Learn to be Discreet
Stop discussing your work projects or personal life with peers or colleagues. It’s not that, am not telling you to be proud of what you are working on or your achievements in life but there is a reason and I will try to explain. People cannot attack what they don’t know and my friend there are sick people out there, their hearts full of envy, don’t have their own little goals, dreams or even ambitions, they want to compete with everyone or measure their worth depending on what their colleagues are doing. To avoid raising envy in such people it’s wise you keep your projects to yourself only give them as much smoke as you can that reinforces what they already know about that way they will never bring their vampire energy to you. Secondly, discussing your work only with your bosses or the person you report to frees you at the workplace because if everyone else is in the dark and only you and the captain know the direction to take, you will always get to your destination, no distractions or unnecessary road blocks. This does not mean that you cannot consult others when in doubt, learn to know whose input matters because not every advice you get is good advice even from so-called experts.
Rule #6 It's a Jungle
Never ever get comfortable in the workplace and think you have it all figured out. There is always something or someone out there trying to get you down, be an eagle, spot them from a distance and take yourself to a higher realm where they cannot touch or get to you.
Fight for your ideas or what you believe deep down matters. Sometimes you might be forced to work secretly on ideas and projects even when everyone does not support or agree with you, be stubborn to follow through your ideas even in secret, testing, refining them and don’t be afraid of falling flat on your face at least at the end of it all you will learn. In this world I have always held this in my heart, if you believe in something, follow your intuition to wherever it leads you, sometimes you are right, other times you will be lost but you will always travel back home. As long as you are able to trust yourself always.
No one is there to protect you, it’s not like when you were in kindergarten when the meanest kids picked on you, you ran to tell the teacher or your parents. Here you’re on your own, you gotta fight for yourself and the best of it all is through your work. Let your work speak for itself.
Peace out. I will be writing more on this topic in the coming months and Years. Let’s keep the conversation going, let me know what are your thoughts in comment section.