Playing With The Big Boys - Lesson 1

In the game of life, there are big boys (and girls of course) and then there are the rest of us. Big boys follow a different set of rules  from the small boys. Big boys play big games, think of big things, use big words and will absolutely crush you big time if you get in their way.

Big boys live in big houses, and drive big cars. And at night they sleep in their big beds and have big dreams.

Big boys rarely get into problems and if they do, other big boys help them. 

It is good to be big isn't it? However, not everyone will grow big. Some choose not to but many others simply do not have what it takes.

You might be happy with way things are with your life. Good for you. Life is not about getting the biggest house, having your own army or a million pairs of shoes. What you want in life is your choice.

But whatever is is you want, somewhere down the road, a big boy will want the same thing too. He will be waiting. You will have to pass him and to do that you will have to play his game according to his rules.  Here are a few lessons how you can do that.

The first thing you must remember when dealing with people of power is that to never appear as a threat. Big boys have big egos. They may appear humble, gracious and charitable,  that is just a front they show. Beneath it is something else. Something scary.

The rich and powerful are always wary of threat. The moment they detect one, they will remove it or simply crush it. Until and unless you are big enough yourself, do not ever do anything that can be perceived as a threat to them.

In the business world, they are many examples of companies starting small and growing into mega corporations. The car industry is a good example. When the Japanese first started making cars, they did not take on the U.S auto industry directly. First they focused on domestic markets, then Asian markets, before taking on the might of the US auto industry. In the early days the Japanese auto makers never appeared as a threat to the big boys in the US. If they had done so,  you can be sure the big boys in Detroit would have acted to preserve their dominance.

You have to keep in mind that men and women of power did not achieve their position by wearing kid's glove. They are ruthless, especially when they feel threatened.

Lesson No 1  - Do Not Appear As A Threat.