Ah, yes… Don Corleone and his classy business swagger; making moves and pulling strings behind the scenes. If you’re like most people on the planet, you probably enjoy The Godfather trilogy. Let’s consider for a moment, what we can learn from the Don Corleone school of business.
Make them an offer they can’t refuse
Lesson #1 from Vito Corleone; make them an offer they can’t refuse. Of course, I don’t mean threatening people or doing violent things to their horses; I’m talking about “win-win” offers. When approaching someone with a business proposal, always put yourself in their shoes. What is it that they want? How can you propose this deal so you both are happy with the outcome?
Stay away from dirty business
If you play with fire you risk getting burnt. Ultimately, its best just to stay away from dirty deals and dirty business in general. Even though Vito was presented as a respectful businessman, the truth is he still carried out dirty business. Unfortunate for The Don, his competition eventually got the best of him.
Know how to delegate
Don Corleone was great at delegating tasks to the right people. Rather than doing the job himself, he knew that it was better to send someone with the appropriate skill set. Of course, our employees skill sets are a little different, but you get the idea. You can’t do everything by yourself and you need to delegate tasks appropriately.
Utilize lawyers and PR professionals
The Corleone family knew how to utilize both lawyers and public relations. It’s important to remember that even if you don’t run a crime organization, you still need to cultivate good relationships in your community and take measures to protect your organization’s assets. Be proactive with both of these and you will be better off in the end.
A collected demeanor helps
If you recall, the Corleone bosses typically kept their cool. They logically thought out and carefully considered every move they planned to make. Most of the time, this helped them to be more effective. When you go to implement your business plans be ready for the unexpected; always keep your head so you can make the best possible decisions.