Rules of Engagement: Second Law

We continue with our discourse below. The next rule in the series.

To amass influence and power - kindly note the order that they words have been aligned - it is important because influence is the ability to shift the thoughts of one in a given direction without seeming to - this is often because influence is a form of surrendered will. It is typically a man allowing the thoughts or deftly thrown words or ideas to stick and take root in his thoughts; so that the ideas and thoughts seem to come from his own mind - it does not then appear to be instruction handed down for execution by the sheer means of authority and that's is what makes it insidious. This art form however requires patience.

Without much ado we begin:

RULE Two

1. Men will respond to influence and power but not often in the same manner.

Explanation:

• Men have mostly been driven by the lure of power.
• They either desire it or respond to its naked display with longing and obedience
• Power has its own allure - it is an illusion of choice where by people chose to place themselves under the authority of an entity, state, nation, objective, law, deity, religion, cause, person, government, society etc.
• Influence is more subtle - it is a mental process and is often won by well played stratagems that follow some pre-conceived notion.
• Influence is an invisible reach that touches the thoughts and minds of others by gestures and actions that serve a more insidious agenda than may initially appear obvious.
• Sometimes a pawn is a bait and yet it may not be.
• Power without influence is sooner lost than kept.
• Influence without power however is a stratagem and can be called upon when all the elements of the power game are fully deployed.
• Men do not understand that the underpinning of power is influence - gain influence and find the hidden strings of power available to you.
• The influence is perceived differently by many - its the ability to convince, to confound and sow seeds of disruption in negative or positive ways as deemed fit.
• Influence is a mixed bag that requires a certain amount of patience, charm, cunning, shrewd thinking - it seemingly gives out more but gains more than is obvious to plain sight.
• Influence might even be a form of power by reputation with others doing the advertising of your capabilities and acts making you much bigger in the sight of others.
• Those with Influence and power can become legends and myths
• Men are also drawn to both and will often abandon the cause of logic when they aspire for something bigger or greater
• Some men are motivated by power and the seeming authority it conveys and will often follow it blindly.
• Others are motivated by the unseen hands of influence - through facts and fiction, through actions and inactions.
• Both drive to the same goal - the ability to stir people

BOTTOM LINE: Influence and power are interlinked bed mates - it is better that they are found together than apart - they both serve a common aim and should therefore arrive together.