Jeffrey Pfeffer

The seven rules are:

1.Get out of your own way.

2.Break the rules.

3.Appear powerful.

4.Build a powerful brand.

5.Network relentlessly.

6.Use your power.

7.Success excuses almost everything you may have done to acquire power.

My reading material reflects this mindset. Among the books sitting on my desk are one titled How to Be a Dictator: The Cult of Personality in the Twentieth Century, which won the Samuel Johnson Prize;16 Cheaters Always Win: The Story of America;17 and Cheating,18 by my late Stanford law school colleague Deborah Rhode. All of them are worth reading for their deep understanding of the realities of history and human behavior. Their message: life is not always fair, even though people “cling to the idea that people generally get what they deserve.

Mastering imposter syndrome, and describing yourself in positive rather than self-deprecating ways, is critical for achieving power and success. If you do not think of yourself as powerful, competent, and deserving, it is likely that, in subtle and possibly not-so-subtle ways, you will communicate this self-assessment to others. Others are not likely to think more favorably of you than you do of yourself

So stop focusing on trying to figure out who you are. Instead, focus on who your allies and potential allies are. Become a student of the people whose support you need. The sooner you do, the faster you will develop the information and insights necessary for strategically building the alliances you need to succeed.

Here’s one problem with pursuing the goal of being liked: you may be seen as less competent.

Robert Cialdini’s advice in a conversation with me is to first demonstrate competence. Then, if and when you show warmth, people will not see it as a sign of weakness but as something unexpected from a person with power.

The first recommendation about showing up in a powerful way: don’t use notes or a lot of other props or cues, particularly things that would cause you not to make eye contact with the person or people you are speaking with.

A recent meta-analysis of sixty-nine studies concluded that, compared to people with average attractiveness, highly attractive individuals earn 20 percent more and are recommended for promotion more frequently.19 One reason for this relationship: attractive individuals possess a small advantage in human capital and a larger advantage in social capital, in part because of their increased visibility and the greater willingness of others to provide mentorship and advice.