Tom, don’t let anybody kid you. It’s all personal, every bit of business. Every piece of **** every man has to eat every day of his life is personal....They call it business but it’s personal as hell.
Michael Corleone
Michael Corleone
That modern Machiavelli, Dale Carnegie, promoted the idea that prosperity favors the personable. He believed acknowledging the unique talents of another person and their value was a key element of success in business. There are several instances where Puzo’s Corleone demonstrated a similar approach to people and profits. For example, he once admitted to a close associate that he didn’t feel the need to wipe everyone out, just his enemies.
Michael Corleone knew that every time we tell someone to get in the trunk--either figuratively or literally--we are planting a seed that can grow into a grudge--and grudges can be bad for business. This notion applies whether a person’s livelihood involves retail, finance or a truckload of consumer electronics for which there is no receipt.
Corleone’s insight that all business is personal also enabled him to employ what some consider to be the three levels of leadership.
The first level is the ability to get folks to eat dirt. The second level is to get folks to eat dirt and like it. The third level of leadership, by all accounts the most subtle and difficult to master, is the ability to get folks to eat dirt, like it and think it was their own idea.
Wiseguy Wisdom is a guide to personal growth based on books, movies and government tapes.
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