Law 7
Influence is rarely achieved alone; great leaders rely on collective efforts. Law 7 of Robert Greene’s The 48 Laws of Power (Greene, 1998) invites leaders to rethink influence. How can you rethink your influence within your organization? Picture a CEO transforming a struggling company—not by doing it all, but by directing their team’s talents. This redefines leadership, illustrating the power of collective effort: “Get Others to Do the Work for You, but Always Take the Credit.” (Greene, 1998)
The modern corporate landscape demands collective leadership, but the appearance of individual brilliance remains crucial. For example, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, exemplifies this balance—fostering a collaborative culture through initiatives like the ‘Growth Mindset’ philosophy, which encourages learning from failures and cross-team collaboration while still being recognized as a visionary. Law 7 isn’t about exploitation; it’s about blending recognition, influence, and empowerment. Leaders can recognize contributions while framing them as part of a larger strategic vision, ensuring that team members feel valued while the leader maintains their role.
To leverage this law, senior leaders must channel team strengths effectively. This isn’t coercion but cultivating an environment where contributions align with the leader’s vision. It means using collaboration and delegation to craft a narrative where all achievements reflect strategic foresight.
Case Study: Vision and Delegation
Consider Thomas Edison. Often credited as an innovator, Edison relied on a network of inventors and thinkers, such as the team that helped develop the incandescent light bulb—a result of many contributors’ ideas and efforts. His Menlo Park lab functioned as a collaborative engine, bringing ideas under Edison’s vision. Edison took credit while allowing his team space to create. Today, leaders can adapt this by acknowledging contributions while framing successes in the broader strategic vision.
Ethical Credit vs. Opportunistic Gain
Balancing credit-taking with ethics can be challenging. Consider Satya Nadella, who acknowledges his team’s contributions while positioning himself as the visionary. In contrast, former WeWork CEO Adam Neumann faced criticism for failing to appropriately share credit with his team, leading to a culture of disillusionment and ultimately contributing to the company’s struggles. This illustrates the risks of misapplying Law 7 and the importance of ethical credit-sharing. Leaders must share credit transparently while owning the vision and channeling efforts into cohesive success.
Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi often spoke about the team’s role in the company’s success. Under her leadership, from 2006 to 20PepsiCo’sCo’s net revenue grew by over 80%, reaching $63.5 billion in 2017. Healthier offerings grew from 38% to 50% of revenue. Nooyi embodied Law 7 by taking ultimate responsibility while recognizing the team’s efforts. How does your organization balance team credit with visionary leadership?
Implementing Law 7 Today’s Workplaces
- Strategic Delegation: Assign tasks based on strengths, allowing team members to lead key portions of a project while you maintain a strategic overview.
- Narrative Control: Craft narratives that position team efforts within your strategic direction, using inclusive language to maintain your role as the visionary.
- Visible Recognition, Silent Ownership: Publicly acknowledge individual efforts while subtly reaffirming your leadership role.
Balancing Legacy and Empowerment
For leaders seeking a legacy of excellence, Law 7 presents a challenge: balancing recognition with empowerment. Your role is to provide the vision, assemble the pieces, and design the structure for others to thrive. Taking credit acknowledges the leader’s role in uniting efforts into a transformative achievement.
Ultimately, Law 7 reminds us that power is about influence, not individual effort. Reflect on how you leverage influence to empower your team. Be both the visionary and the driving force behind collective success. Mastering Law 7 is about being the catalyst—a leader who transforms many threads into a single narrative of success.
