When I go to political functions or functions that claim to have the who’s who in attendance I find it fascinating to stand back and watch people interact. Politicians and power CEOs always stick to surface conversations, upstarts converse while looking over the shoulder of their conversation partner waiting for the opportunity to dump them and move onto someone with more influence. I could watch this interaction for ours and speculate with friends where we believe the targets of our conversation to be in their professional and pedigree evolution.
One thing that these people don’t realize is that those to which they’ve chosen to kneel down and bask beneath glorious rays of influence are typically just pawns with prestigious public labels being controlled by other supremacies. Here are the facts. Upstarts and wannabes will pick the face to an organization (political or corporate) for their association to grow their career and raise their social circle pedigree but the truth is, behind this puppets are those who whisper in the ear, spin webs of control, and sway with their money and ‘real power’.
I have yet to find a true puppet master comfortable to be in the public eye. It is easier to step back and dictate the moves of pawns streamlined by the upstart’s natural instinct to voluntarily be controlled by their betters. Most people, when it comes down to it, are content with the illusion of influence as long as they are the center of the public’s idea of power.
Case study: When I have a client in the process of globalization it is important to get them built into legislation that is being put up for vote. Whether it’s the USA or Europe, I never communicate with the politician directly, that’s a waste of time, instead I go to his handlers. When I say handlers I don’t mean his campaign manager, assistant or any of the traditional ‘blockers’. I go where the money is, because once you find out who funds his campaign with capital and votes, everything is easy from there. Congressmen, Senators, Governors and Mayors of large cities are placed in this position to be a talking head, a willing hand puppet to special interest groups that will flip the bill for the campaign and make sure that the votes are in place to be re-elected, as long as the political figure continue to play ball and stick to the agenda.
To the uninformed and uninitiated, the apex to the pyramid of power is usually represented by the localized face to a political organization (Republican, Democrat etc) but here are three powers that influence everything this individual does. Power is dictated by moneymen, lobbyists and special interest groups. If you have money to donate the most it can get you is a favor or a letter for your kid to get into private school, but the power, the absolute power in politics is social influence and the ability to bring with you, an ocean of voters, turn-key and ready to go. Try to find one conservative republican politician in the south that isn’t backed by the Southern Baptist Convention or Christian Coalition.
The capacity to provide votes and a ’cause’ type following can also be applied to the business world. When we set up strategic alliances, recruit board members or CEOs the main criteria at the end of the day is money and votes defined as: capital raise for previous organizations and the increase of revenues during their time with their previous company. As for ‘votes’, in the corporate world that would be termed ‘alliances’, support that will be turnkey for my client if we take this executive, board member or alliance on. What does their direct contact portfolio look like? Who will they bring through the door that will offer an instant benefit for my client’s company?
Money + alliances = Power. If you are trying to establish yourself as a power broker in the political or corporate realm you don’t need to actually have the money, just access to it. Access can be defined as direct parlay to those who cut the checks and the influence to get them to move when the time is right. Influence, alliances, voters are easy for those who are natural networks. Talk little, do more. Have a plan as to what you are trying to do. Decide what you are trying to influence and build your network from there.
Don’t start from scratch trying to put together a group of followers, instead, lobby the individual organization management or figureheads. Start brokering power among these groups, make introductions but always leave just enough out so that they need to call you when they need something. From here you should be able to build a solid power base of influence.
Don’t come across as too eager. Instead, get to know these individuals in a calm, easy manner, research them before you initiate contact and even your first contact can’t seem intentional (you may want to ‘run into them’ at you’re local tennis club or golf club and strike up some conversation etc.). Then during conversation make a mental note of the topics and their ‘needs’ and from their needs you’ll know how to refer and network them. Ask nothing in return, ever! Instead, the contact and affiliation is all you are trying to accomplish here. Building your organization of influence in this way will rapidly get you where you want to be without the learning curve of catering to the wrong people.
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