Power University is eye-opening, why nobody teaches this, & how did powerful men learn it?
I am completely blown away by the material in this course. I have an elite background, first class education, etc. And yet I never had a clue about any of this stuff, despite reading, studying, asking questions of those who possibly could have helped etc. Perhaps I'm not smart or observant enough . . . But it's also true that no one EVER made the slightest effort to teach me ANY of this. This material is so powerful that I can't help but feel angry that I have been "kept in the dark" for so long. How did socially powerful people like Trump and Putin learn this stuff? Were they born knowing it? Did a family member or mentor teach them? Note: This was posted before I read about proper forum etiquette. I am still getting the hang of forum participation and etiquette. If this question was posted in the wrong place, and/or it is too vague and open ended, I apologize.
Hey Ed,
A few notes on this:
- Some people are naturally born with a higher understanding of power dynamics and "unwritten rules of success"
It's normal.
Take any group of people, take any trait you can imagine, and you will see normally-occurring differences in the distribution of that trait.
Just like some people are born with a better sense of humor, better flirting, higher/lower IQ, or run faster/slower than the average, some people are simply born with a "natural talent" for Machiavellianism, power dynamics, and strategies.
But with active study, you can catch up and overtake the vast majority of them.
- Some people learn it quickly because they're driven to power
Some people crave power, and feel entitled to it.
So they are naturally more assertive/aggressive, take more risks, observe more, and learn quicker.
- Some people simply spend more time thinking about power and strategy
Some people have a natural tendency to look at others like pawns, and at life like a chessboard.
And they want to be the kings of that chessboard, no matter how many pawns will have to be sacrificed.
To this class belong the people higher in psychopathy.
These 3 kinds of people sometimes overlap, and often don't make for the best leaders.
Which is why I believe that teaching power dynamics to more people is a good thing: more competition for the entitled, power-craving leaders, and more empathic leaders at the top.
- Yes, people don't talk about these things
Yeah, people don't usually talk about these things.
They have all to lose to talk about it, and little to gain.
A parent or a family member will have a genetic interest in teaching how power dynamics work, but there are so few people that actually understand them, that very few people end up being mentored or coached.
People like Putin do have consultants to give them feedback at least about body language, though. And I even heard that Putin has a coach focusing on "masculinity".
- No matter when you start catching up, it's always an opportunity
Finally, I did receive a few feedback saying "I wish I had seen this sooner".
That's the glass half empty, half full.
I totally get your point.
For example, I learned the basics of nutrition very recently, and there was an element of anger that such basic information wasn't more readily taught and available.
That's normal.
But most of all, I was happy.
It was one more piece of the "enlightenment puzzle" falling into place.
The way I see it, life is a progression.
The real tragedy is never starting that progression.
But once you're on that path, you're good.
That's more from a philosophical point of view.
And from a more practical point of view, you're even better: it's only a tiny minority who stumbles upon good material on power dynamics / life strategies. Maybe less than 5% (and even fewer on the mental side of power). Even among the best jobs, it's not so many who get all their basis covered. And when you're in that group, you're in the top tier already. Many people who use their work emails to sign up here are from investment banking, VCs, or law firms.
So you're already in the top 5% right now.
All that comes from here, it's all gravy.
Well done. Tremendously helpful. My favorite is the part that this stuff can be learned, and by learning and studying you can equal or surpass those who were "born with it." I'd love to know more about Putin's coaches/consultants. I assume it's a best kept secret and/or they don't speak English. Of course it doesn't really matter as I'm learning a ton from Power University.