Keep your friends close, enemies closer

One of the remarkable business strategy statement given out by Don Corleone in The Godfather Trilogy is, “keep your friends close, enemies closer”. This applies evenly in business and politics! 

Essentially you must make your enemy feels safe at the top of any situation where you are put at unease. You must allow him to entertain cosiness and the fact that you as his nemesis consider everything forgotten and it is back to nosiness as usual. An important vector is to make your enemy march to your drum.

Here is what Don Corleone says to his concierge at breaking the news of the massacre of his eldest son Sonny Corleone by the five families who were in constant war with him. “I want no enquiries made; I want no acts of vengeance; I want you to arrange a meeting with the heads of the “five families”. This war stops now. Revenge is a dish best served cold”.

This deception worked. The five families agreed to bury the hatchet as Don Corleone promised to give them major concession of not pursuing the murder and lifting his objection on dealing in narcotics. He never exploded; blamed them for the heinous crime; wanted any sympathy. He was thoroughly professional because this is not the time for theatrics. As regards to retaliation let it come on its own.

His men and family were disappointed by his apparent passiveness and going for a lose-win deal. “Forgive! Forget! Life is full of misfortunes”, he summed up as he consoled them. “Well, that is life. Everyone got their own circle of sorrow” was the way he consoled himself.

Back onto his desk he reminisces: “Confidence is silent; Insecurities are loud” as he pepped up the enthusiasm that was at the beginning stage of its flight in the office staff. He later thundered: “Everyone you fight is not you enemy. And everybody that helps you is not your friend “. He juxtaposes the fact that his concession made the five families a friend now and in near future the five families now helping Don Corleone might cease to be a friend. How this business strategy is was executed?

In fact, Michael Corleone his youngest son who after taking over from his father does what Don Corleone presumed to suggest. He wiped all of them in one go and became the one and only don of the Mafia!

Cheers!

 

Muthu Ashraff Rajulu

Business Strategist

Mobile: + 94 777 265677

E-mail:   cosmicgems@gmail.com

Blog:   Business Strategist