10 business lessons from Frank Underwood
Legal LawA couple of months ago, I wrote an article highlighting all the brilliant and insightful monologues that our beloved fictional US President on the House of Cards TV show – Frank Underwood delivered to all viewers. I will post that article here soon.
Now, I know that he is one of the most ruthless people ever encountered after the Joker, but there are lessons to be learned from the way Frank handles situations.
10 business lessons from Frank Underwood –
1. Know the rules fully –
Frank is a player in the game of American politics, and there are rules and laws that go into that game. This is a country we are talking about; so he imagines the intensity of that game and the detail of the countless laws and rules that support it. Frank first familiarizes himself with all the laws and rules before taking on challenges in the game. As a result, he can figure out ways to get out of disastrous scenarios, as well as design traps for his enemies.
2. Diplomacy –
Diplomacy is a default attribute in every politician. And Frank has a lot of that embedded in him. Personally, I would opt out of diplomacy in the areas in which I operate, but I have never been in the shoes of a politician. When it comes to politics, diplomacy can get you a long way down the path you want to take. When I say politics, I mean it in a more general sense, and not just the politics you hear about on the news.
3. During the negotiation, meet your opponent halfway at most –
As a politician, Frank obviously has a lot of dealings with his enemies, his family, and his friends. A successful negotiation always has both parties satisfied. There is no winner, nor loser. The way this happens is that both parties try to set aside some aspects of the demands that each makes. That way, you at least make the deal happen with something, rather than nothing. In other words, you meet your opponent halfway with the demands you’re making and the demands they’re making.
4. Always be ready to do what you want your subordinates to do –
Frank Underwood orders his subordinates to do what he wants in every sense of the word. But he knows that he would do the same kind of thing if necessary; And boy, does he outdo himself.
With that attitude, not only are you satisfied with the fact that you are ordering your subordinates around, but your subordinates also know that you would do the same and they would respect you more. Therefore, more loyalty results; organic loyalty.
5. Goal orientation –
We all know this, and we’ve all heard it a million times: break your main goal into many steps, and then do them one at a time. That’s exactly what Frank does throughout the entire TV show. His goal is to be the President of the United States of America, and in order to be, there are many steps to complete. He slowly does each one of them. It may seem off-kilter at some points, but it really isn’t if you’re realizing it.
There are struggles along the way, because there are others who share your goal; and we all know that there is only one presidential seat in the oval office.
6. A smile goes a long way –
This is one of the traits of Frank that I love the most and that I have personally instilled in myself in many difficult situations. It is simple; have a smiling face regardless of his emotion towards the other person. Do you hate that person? Smile. Do you want to strangle that person to death? Fair. Smile.
This will not only give you emotional stability, but it will make the other person feel a bit intimidated, considering how well you seem to be handling the situation. If you can intimidate that person, you can beat them.
7. Protect those you really care about –
This goes without saying, but a trait I noticed in Frank nonetheless, and a trait so important that it could make or break you. Without the people who really care about you and who really support you, you can’t achieve greatness. There isn’t much you can do alone, but the rest of the way you have to go with the support of your friends. Although this is general, this is especially true of government policy.
8. Losing a battle does not mean losing the war –
Your objective is now divided into steps, and some of those numerous steps may not be feasible, or in other words, the obstacles you face put you in a position where you have to bend the knee for that battle. It doesn’t mean that his goal is now unattainable. In any case, you are stronger.
Frank illustrates this ideology by swinging with the wind, as it goes. There is a scenario in which the leaders of your own party do not want you to run for president. But becoming president and maintaining that position is his goal. He strategizes such that it appears that he agrees to the group’s demands, only to provoke another battle so that he can make up for the previously lost battle by winning this one.
9. The nominal value of a situation is only the result, and not the real value –
The face value of a situation is the result of whatever you have done to achieve it. You may read that gay marriage is now legal in the US, but a lot of work went into that, and many people worked against many other people to achieve it. That work is not exactly highlighted by the media. Everyone only cares about the result, and you need to figure out what to do to achieve your goals.
Frank does all the really important work himself to achieve all the minor goals, as well as the major one. All this work is sometimes not known to anyone but him.
10. There is ALWAYS a way –
One thing I’m sure of is that Frank never stops figuring out various ways to win battles and ultimately the war. From flattery, to slaughter; he does it all. You can take a look at a random scene from the show and be sure he’s hopelessly stuck. That’s when he wows viewers with his brilliance and a couple of clever monologues. In fact, that’s when he delivers his best monologues. Once again, here is the link to a series of those monologues: Your Evil Alter Ego.
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