The 50th Law (with 50 Cent)

Group rules and codes: For any human group, disorder and
anarchy are too distressing. And so standards of conduct and rules for
how to do things quickly evolve and become set. These rules and codes
are never written down but are implicit. Violate them in some way and
you risk becoming a nonentity or even being fired, without necessarily
knowing the cause. In this way, the group imposes its own order

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without the need for active policing. The codes will regulate acceptable
appearances, how much free talk is encouraged in meetings, the
quality of obedience in relation to bosses, the expected work ethic, et
cetera.
When you are new to a group, you must pay extra attention to these
tacit codes. Look at who’s rising and who’s falling within the group—
signs of the standards that govern success and failure. Does success
stem more from results or from political schmoozing? Look at how
hard people work when not being observed by bosses. You could work
too hard or do a job too well and find yourself fired for making others
look bad. There are inevitably sacred cows within the group—people or
beliefs never to be criticized. Consider all of these as trip wires you
must avoid at all costs. Sometimes a particular member of higher
standing serves as the de facto policeman or policewoman for these
rules and codes. Identify such individuals and avoid any friction with
them. It’s not worth it.
The group court: Observe any community of chimpanzees at the
zoo, and you will notice the existence of an alpha male and other
chimpanzees adapting their behavior to him, fawning, imitating, and
struggling to forge closer ties. This is the prehuman version of the
court. We humans created a more elaborate version in aristocratic
courts, dating from the earliest civilizations. In the aristocratic court,
the subordinate members depended on the king or queen’s favor to
survive and thrive; the object of the game was to get closer to the man
or woman on top without alienating the other courtiers, or to gang up
and depose the leader, always a risky venture.
Today the court will form around the film executive, the head of an
academic department, the CEO of a business venture, the political
boss, the owner of an art gallery, a critic or artist who has cultural
power. In a large group, there will be subcourts formed around
subleaders. The more powerful the leader, the more intense is the
gamesmanship. The courtiers may look different now, but their
behavior and strategies are pretty much the same. You must take note
of a few of these behavioral patterns.
First, courtiers have to gain the attention of leaders and ingratiate
themselves in some way. The most immediate way to do this is through
flattery, since leaders inevitably have large egos and a hunger to have
their high self-opinion validated. Flattery can do wonders, but it comes

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with risks. If it is too obvious, the flatterer looks desperate, and it is
easy to see through the strategy. The best courtiers know how to tailor
their flattery to the particular insecurities of the leader and to make it
less direct. They focus on flattering qualities in the leader that no one
else has bothered to pay attention to but that need extra validation. If
everyone praises the leader’s business acumen but not his or her
cultural refinement, you will want to aim at the latter. Mirroring the
leader’s ideas and values, without using their exact words, can be a
highly effective form of indirect flattery.
Keep in mind that forms of acceptable flattery will differ in each
court. In Hollywood, it must be more effusive than in academia or in
Washington DC. Adapt your flattery to the group spirit, and make it as
indirect as possible.
Of course, it is always wise to impress bosses with your efficiency
and to make them dependent on your usefulness, but be careful of
taking this too far: if they feel you are too good at what you do, they
may come to fear their dependence on you and wonder about your
ambition. Make them feel comfortable in the superiority they believe
they possess.
Second, you must pay great attention to the other courtiers.
Standing out too much, being seen as too brilliant or charming, will
stir up envy, and you will die by a thousand bites. You want as many
courtiers on your side as possible. Learn to downplay your successes,
to listen (or seem to listen) deeply to the ideas of others, strategically
giving them credit and praise in meetings, paying attention to their
insecurities. If you must take action against particular courtiers, make
it as indirect as possible, working to slowly isolate them in the group,
never appearing too aggressive. Courts are always supposed to seem
civilized. Be aware that the best courtiers are consummate actors and
that their smiles and professions of loyalty mean very little. In the
court, it does not pay to be naive. Without being paranoid, try to
question people’s motives.
Third, you need to be aware of the types of courtiers you will find in
most courts and the particular dangers they can pose. One aggressive
but clever courtier with little conscience can quickly dominate the
group. (For more on the types of courtiers, see the next section.)
Keep in mind that there is no way to opt out of the court dynamic.
Trying to act superior to the political games or the need to flatter will

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only make you look suspicious to others; nobody likes the holier-than-
thou attitude. All you’ll get for your “honesty” is to be marginalized.
Better to be the consummate courtier and find some pleasure in the
game of court strategy.