Mastering the Art of Attraction: How Leaders Draw Others to Their Turf
Why bringing the battle to your ground wins wars and boardrooms.
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 8: MAKE OTHER PEOPLE COME TO YOU—USE BAIT IF NECESSARY
When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process. Lure him with fabulous gains—then attack. You hold the cards.
The principle behind this law is based on the concept of control and the tactical advantage of bringing others into your own territory.
By making others come to you, you control the environment and the interaction. This control can give you a psychological advantage, as your opponents or counterparts are in unfamiliar territory.
Further, when someone makes the effort to come to you, they may feel a subconscious obligation or investment in the interaction, which you can leverage.
This law plays on the psychological principle that the party who makes the first move in an interaction is often perceived as being in a weaker position.
Waiting for others to come to you requires patience but can be more effective than being aggressive or overeager.
Using Bait:
Attractiveness of the Bait: The bait must be tailored to the interests and desires of the other person. It could be a promise of benefit, an intriguing meeting, or a valuable opportunity.
Subtlety in the Offer: The offer of bait should be subtle enough to not reveal the intention of gaining control or upper hand.
Adjustment According to Response: The type and extent of bait may need to be adjusted based on the response and behavior of the other party.
Modern Applications:
Business Negotiations: In business, inviting potential partners to your office for negotiations can put you in a position of power.
Political Strategy: Politicians often use this principle by setting the terms of debates or meetings, thus controlling the environment.
Social Interactions: Even in social settings, there can be a subtle power dynamic involved in who visits whom.
In summary, this law is about the strategic advantages of making others come to you and how to effectively use bait to lure them. It emphasizes control, psychological advantage, and patience.
Historical Examples
Queen Elizabeth I and Her Courtship Tactics: Queen Elizabeth I of England skillfully used this law in her diplomatic and courtship maneuvers. She never left England, insisting that her suitors and emissaries come to her. This not only reinforced her status and power but also kept her in a familiar, controlled environment where she could more effectively manage the complex negotiations and relationships.
Napoleon Bonaparte's Military Strategies: Napoleon often lured his enemies into territories that were advantageous to him. By retreating strategically, he would bait his adversaries to follow him into a terrain where he had the upper hand. This tactic was evident in the lead-up to the Battle of Austerlitz, where he deceived the Austro-Russian armies into thinking his forces were weaker than they actually were, leading them to overextend and ultimately suffer a decisive defeat.
The Mongols' Use of Feigned Retreats: The Mongol armies under Genghis Khan and his successors often used the tactic of the feigned retreat to draw their enemies out of fortified positions or into traps. They would pretend to flee in disarray, enticing their foes to break ranks and pursue them, only to lead them into ambushes or more vulnerable positions.
The Trojan Horse in the Trojan War: As depicted in Greek mythology and the epic "The Odyssey," the Greeks used the famous Trojan Horse to gain entry into the city of Troy. By leaving a giant wooden horse outside the city gates as a supposed offering, the Greeks baited the Trojans to bring the horse inside the city walls, unaware that it was filled with Greek soldiers who then opened the gates for their army.
Sun Tzu's Art of War: The ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu, in his work "The Art of War," advocates for the use of deception and strategic positioning to compel the enemy to react and move according to one's own plan, a concept that aligns with the idea of making others come to you.
The Fabian Strategy by Fabius Maximus: In the Second Punic War, Roman general Fabius Maximus adopted a strategy of avoidance and attrition against Hannibal's Carthaginian army. He refused to meet Hannibal in a pitched battle, instead drawing him deeper into Roman territory, stretching his supply lines, and striking opportunistically, thereby weakening Hannibal's position.
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.