《The 48 Laws of Power in Practice》Law 3: Conceal your intentions

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Create distractions and keep people in the dark until you get what you want.

This law has Little Finger written all over it, and his tactics worked very well for a while in Game of Thrones. It's true that oftentimes when people are too direct with what they want, it doesn't work in their favor. Use a decoy to make them think you want something else or a distraction to keep them from knowing what you are up to.

By developing this skill, you could become a conman, magician, or poker player. Or just have a good poker face and not show all your cards at work or in love. This could apply to relationships too. If someone is too direct in the beginning, it can make it awkward and feel like there are too many expectations even if you like the person.

Surprisingly there was a time where I got this right. I was covering someone at work during their maternity leave. We had worked on parts of the same account, but she was pretty mean to a lot of people and tried to get me fired at one point. Let's call her B. Our department got a new director shortly before B went on leave, and I was still pretty junior so I went into her office for help every week.

After a while, I asked our director when B was scheduled to return. She told me that it would be in a couple of weeks but that she was going to be on a new account we just got. I said a few things like, "that's so exciting to be growing a new business", and "wow that would be a great opportunity for her!"

Then right before B returned, our boss told me that I would get the account instead because she liked that I showed enthusiasm for it. I didn't know it at the time, but this would make all the difference in my career. At that point, I just wanted to work more independently but after a year I grew the new account which fast-tracked me to becoming a manager.

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Looking back, it was a power play on my part even though I was not fully aware at the time. If I had come out directly and said "I'd like to be on the account and here is why," I would have come across as envious or coveting the position. And even if I got it, I'd have a lot to prove since I had to persuade her to choose me instead. By being indirect, I planted the seed which made my boss have the idea herself. Amazed how this all worked out, and B probably never even knew she was up for it.

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