Five Methods of the King in the Jungle

Have you read the Mafia Manager? It is one of the most honest books in modern business literature. No holds barred, the book skinned the businessman to the marrows. Present day management gurus say business should be a force for good. Nice one. But how good

your business is as a force depends on where are you doing it. In a developing country like Nigeria, where money is made rather than earned, the marketplace is a jungle; only the smartest survive. The kings in the jungles win by setting their own rules. Many time, the rules are not pleasant to humanity. But that’s how many of them win.

Here are five we have observed:

I win or we all lose

For the jungle King, it’s always winner takes all. Win-win means sharing prosperity. That makes the King dispensable. It’s either he wins or everybody loses. That’s the only way to sustain dominance. I use and I dump

Human capital is extinguishable. Even if it can be recycled, it’s only for a while. Ideas falter. Energy drops as age advances. Enthusiasm wanes. One the King notices degeneration setting in, it’s time to let go so that fresh blood can come in. Subjects come and go, kingship is a life enterprise.

Divide and Rule

When subjects agree, kingship is threatened. Collusion becomes imminent, so the King thinks. Therefore, the king’s prosperity is assured if subjects are divided. He pleases A to displease B. He incites Y to fight Z. That way, gang up is nipped in the bud as workplace becomes a battleground.

White is Black

Nothing is ever certain with the King. For example, the King might promise to reward when it is four. Four o’ clock? Four days? Four months? Four years? Nobody knows. When asked to clarify. He will reply: “I said four. Please, I am busy”. The King survives by making white and black synonyms.

Ruthlessness touching on Godlessness:

A Nigerian sage said, “only the cruel hand nurtures wealth”. To the King, business grows in cold blood. No sentiments! Profit is more important than progeny. Margins grow when emotions die.