Mastering Deceptive Delegation: The Dark Art of Taking Credit for Others' Work
The dark art of taking credit and shining through others' hard work and sacrifice.
Scrolls of the Dark Arts for Scholars
The Dark Arts have been practiced since antiquity. Achieving Dark Arts mastery requires studying the manuals of the Dark Arts and internalizing their lessons.
Dark Arts Instruction Manuals include the following classics:
One: The Prince, by Niccolò Machiavelli. Amoral statecraft.
Two: The Art of War, by Sun Tzu, Statecraft and Organized Violence.
Three: The 48 Laws of Power, by Robert Greene
This is part of a series on The 48 Laws of Power. It provides a summary and real-life historical examples of other Dark Arts masters who applied its principles.
LAW 7: GET OTHERS TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU, BUT ALWAYS TAKE THE CREDIT
Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own muse. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what others can do for you.
"Get Others to Do the Work for You, But Always Take the Credit" is one of the 48 laws of power, as outlined in Robert Greene's book "The 48 Laws of Power." This law, like others in the book, provides guidance on how to attain and maintain power, often through manipulative or morally questionable means.
Law Overview:
The law states that you should use the skills, talents, and labor of other people to further your own agenda. The ultimate goal is to receive credit for these efforts, enhancing your reputation and influence while conserving your own energy and resources, ideally doing nothing at all.
Strategies and Techniques:
Utilize Experts: Find skilled individuals who can complete tasks efficiently and effectively. Utilize their expertise to accomplish tasks that contribute to your objectives.
Remain in the Background: While others are doing the work, it’s important to stay in the shadows, only stepping forward to claim credit when the time is right.
Control the Narrative: Make sure that those in influential positions see you as the architect of the success. This may involve strategically positioning yourself as the key decision-maker or the creative mind behind the project.
Manage Contributions: While you should acknowledge the efforts of others when absolutely necessary, the law advises minimizing the perceived contribution of others in comparison to your own.
Take Ownership of Success: When a project succeeds, be the first to present it, frame it, and take ownership. This ensures that in the public eye, success is primarily associated with you.
Potential Risks:
Backlash from Peers: If others feel exploited or sense that they are not receiving due credit, it can lead to resentment, backlash, or even sabotage.
Reputation Damage: If discovered, this strategy can severely damage your reputation, painting you as manipulative and untrustworthy.
Dependence on Others: Over-reliance on others can leave you vulnerable if key contributors withdraw their support or leave.
Ethical Considerations: This approach raises serious ethical questions and can conflict with values of fairness, honesty, and integrity.
In contemporary corporate and political environments, this law can be observed in practice. Leaders often take credit for the successes of their teams or departments, using these achievements to bolster their own status and power within the organization.
Historical Examples:
Thomas Edison (1847-1931): Often lauded as America's greatest inventor, Edison was also known for his shrewd business tactics. He employed a team of skilled researchers and inventors in his laboratory, most notably Nikola Tesla, but often took sole credit for the inventions that emerged from it. One famous example is the development of the light bulb, which was a product of collaborative effort within his lab, but primarily associated with Edison himself.
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821): Napoleon, a military and political leader, often took credit for victories and successful strategies that his generals sometimes devised. His ability to use the talents of his subordinates effectively while maintaining his image as a military genius was a key aspect of his leadership.
Steve Jobs (1955-2011): As the co-founder of Apple Inc., Steve Jobs was known for being the face of the company and receiving much of the credit for its innovative products. While Jobs was indeed a visionary and a key figure in Apple’s success, many of the technical aspects of Apple's products were developed by other talented individuals like Steve Wozniak and Jony Ive.
Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919): Carnegie, a leading figure in the American steel industry, is often credited with the expansion and success of the American steel industry in the late 19th century. However, much of his success was due to the work of his associates and employees, like Henry Frick, who managed much of the operations and innovations within his enterprises.
Alexander the Great (356-323 BC): Renowned for creating one of the largest empires of the ancient world, Alexander’s success was not only due to his own leadership but also heavily reliant on the skills and strategies of his generals and soldiers. Nonetheless, the glory and historical legacy of these conquests are predominantly attributed to Alexander himself.
Henry Ford (1863-1947): Ford is celebrated for revolutionizing the automobile industry with his assembly line method. However, this innovation was not solely his own; it was developed and refined with the help of a team of engineers. Ford’s genius lay in recognizing, applying, and marketing this method effectively.
These examples demonstrate how figures in history have leveraged the work and talents of others to bolster their own reputation and legacy. It's a complex aspect of leadership and power dynamics, often entangled with questions of ethics and collaborative credit.
Dark Arts Disclaimer
The path of the Dark Arts beckons to the strong and ambitious, yet it carries its own set of consequences.
Most who follow the dark path regret their choices, often in the twilight of their lives, after being abandoned by their family or suffering a career-ending setback from which there is no recovery.
Do-gooders who follow the path of light wish to witness the downfall of Dark Arts Masters. Due to our lack of compassion or mercy, they shrink from our potency, but they actively work to undermine us whenever they can.
Followers of the dark path discover that genuine affection from others is rare or absent. Instead, we’re surrounded by fearful sycophants and aspiring apprentices who feign fondness but will betray us when it suits them.
The demise of Dark Arts Master is inglorious, symbolically in their professional lives and emotionally within the confines of their homes. Often, the actions of others seal their fate, and they meet their lonely and forgotten end, having alienated everyone.
The allure of power attracts individuals willing to pursue this fickle Fate. We adhere to power’s principles and ultimately meet our cruel fate at its cold hands.