How To Connect With Powerful People – Machiavelli’s 13 Ruthless Laws

The world is divided into two categories. The players and the pieces. [music] You have felt this your entire life.

You walk into a room and you feel invisible. You see certain people command attention without speaking. [music] They get the opportunities.

They get the respect. They get the power. And you you work harder.

You try to be nicer. You try [music] to be competent. But you are ignored.

You are left wondering why your talent isn't enough. Why [music] your goodness isn't rewarded. Here is the brutal truth that society is too polite [music] to tell you.

Power does not care about your intentions. It only cares about your leverage. You have been trying to connect with powerful [music] people by being a friend.

But powerful people do not need more friends. They need assets. [music] They need mirrors.

They need protection. If you want to enter the circles where the real decisions are [music] made, you have to kill the part of you that seeks validation. You have to stop asking for permission to exist.

[music] Nicolo Machaveli wrote the prince over 500 years ago not as a guide for [music] the wicked but as a manual for reality. He understood that human nature at its core is driven by [music] self-interest, fear, and vanity. If you ignore this, [music] you will always be a porn.

If you master it, you become the hand that moves the pieces. [music] In the next few minutes, we are going to dismantle the lies you've been told about networking. We are going to explore Machaveli's 13 ruthless laws of connection.

[music] These are not tips. They are psychological weapons. By the end [music] of this, you will no longer look at a powerful person and see a superior.

You will see a puzzle and you will hold the only key that [music] solves it. But be warned, once you see the strings, you can never go back to being a puppet. Most people fail because they approach power with an open hand, [music] begging for a favor.

They think connection is about being yourself. That is a lie. Being yourself is a luxury for those who already have [music] power.

For those climbing the mountain, connection is about strategic adaptation. It is about becoming exactly what the other person needs to [music] see until you are so embedded in their world that they cannot function without you. But how do you do this without losing your soul?

[music] How do you manipulate the perception of the elite without becoming a syphant? The answer lies in [music] a psychological concept called the void. But to understand the void, you [music] first have to understand the 13 laws.

Let's begin. [music] Law one, never outshine the master. The first mistake you make is trying to impress.

You meet someone influential [music] and your ego takes the wheel. You want to show them how smart you are, how capable, how much you know. You think this earns [music] respect.

It does not. It breeds insecurity. Powerful people are often the most fragile.

[music] Their identity is built on being the smartest, the strongest, or the most visionary person in the room. If you come in shining too brightly, you do not look like an asset. You look like a threat.

[music] Machaveli warned us, "It is always dangerous to appear better than your superiors. [music] When you make your superior look bad or even just lesser by comparison, you trigger their survival instinct. [music] They will bury you not because you are incompetent but because you are dangerous [music] to their ego.

So what is the strategy? Dim your light. Make them [music] look brilliant.

When you offer an idea, frame it in a way that makes it seem like their idea. [music] Ask questions that allow them to give the answer. Feed their vanity.

This is not weakness. This is camouflage. [music] By allowing them to feel superior, you lower their defenses.

[music] You become safe and once you are safe, you are allowed inside [music] the walls. While they are busy admiring their own reflection, you are quietly [music] observing their weaknesses, learning their patterns, and securing your position. [music] Let them have the glory.

You take the influence. Law two, conceal your intentions. [music] A predictable man is a controllable man.

If I know what you want, I [music] know how to use you. If I know you want money, I can buy you. If I know you want praise, I can flatter you.

Most people wear their desires on their [music] faces. They walk up to powerful people and their eyes scream, "I need [music] something from you. " This reeks of desperation, and desperation is the [music] ultimate repellent.

To connect with power, you must be a cipher. Machaveli advised, "Keep [music] your friends close, but your intentions closer. Be unreadable [music] when you enter a room.

Do not reveal your endgame. Talk about everything except business. Talk about art, philosophy, [music] their hobbies, the wine, anything that humanizes the interaction.

[music] Make them wonder why you are there. Mystery creates attraction. When they cannot figure out what you want, they [music] become intrigued.

They start to project their own desires onto you. They [music] start to chase you to figure out the puzzle. Never show your cards until the pot is yours.

Be friendly. [music] Be open. Be charming.

But keep the core of your ambition locked in a vault where no one can see it. The less they know about your motives, the more power you hold in the negotiation. Law three, appeal to self-interest, never to mercy.

This is where the nice guys finish last. You need a favor. You need a mentor.

You need an investment. So you go to a powerful person and you tell them your sob story. You talk about your struggles.

You talk about how much you deserve a chance. [music] You appeal to their gratitude, their kindness, their morality. And they might smile.

They might nod, but they will do nothing. Why? Because mercy is a burden.

Powerful people are busy. They are [music] constantly bombarded by people asking for help. If they helped everyone who deserved it, they would [music] be bankrupt and exhausted.

Machaveli was very clear. It is better to be feared than loved if you cannot [music] be both. But in the context of connection, it translates to this.

[music] It is better to be needed than liked. Do not ask for favors, offer transactions, but disguise the transaction as an alliance. Find out what they need.

[music] Do they have a rival they want to crush? Do they have a problem they cannot [music] solve? Do they have a vanity project that is failing?

Position yourself as the solution to their pain. [music] When you speak to them, do not talk about your needs. Talk about their interests.

I see you are struggling with X. [music] I have a way to fix it that will save you time. Now you are not a beggar.

You are a partner. Self-interest is the only language that is universally understood. Speak it fluently and doors will open.

Law four, the art of strategic absence. We live in a world of over availability. You answer texts [music] instantly.

You say yes to every meeting. You are always there. You think this shows dedication.

[music] It actually signals low value. Economic law applies to human [music] behavior. Scarcity creates value.

If you are always available, you are common. Common things are cheap. [music] Powerful people respect time because it is the only resource they cannot buy more of.

If you give your time away freely, you are telling them it is [music] worthless. Machaveli knew that a prince who is seen too often becomes ordinary. You must learn to withdraw.

Be warm when you are present. [music] Be fully engaged. Make them feel like the only person in the world.

And then disappear. Don't answer the phone on the first ring. [music] Don't be available for coffee next Tuesday.

Have a life. Have a mission. Have a schedule that does not revolve around them.

This [music] does two things. First, it proves you are a person of value who has other options. [music] Second, it creates the zygic effect, an open loop in their mind.

[music] They start wondering where you are, what you are doing, who you are with. Your absence [music] takes up space in their mind. And when you do return, your presence [music] is treated as a reward, not an obligation.

Use absence [music] to stoke the fires of respect. Law five, the mirror of narcissus. Everyone is in love with [music] themselves.

Even the most humble seeming leader is secretly obsessed with their own worldview. They want [music] to be understood. They crave validation of their reality.

Most people try to connect by talking about themselves. I did this. [music] I think that this is noise.

To connect with power, you must become a mirror. Reflect their image back to them but slightly enhanced. [music] If they are aggressive and fast-talking, you speed up your speech.

Adopt their posture. If they are slow and thoughtful, you slow down. You become [music] pensive.

Match their breathing. Match their vocabulary. If they [music] use war metaphors, you use war metaphors.

If they use [music] sports metaphors, you use sports metaphors. This is not [music] just mimicry. It is neurological synchronization.

When you mirror someone effectively, their subconscious mind labels you as [music] same. He is like me. Therefore, I can trust him.

Therefore, he is smart. You are bypassing their logical brain [music] and speaking directly to their reptilian brain. People do not [music] want to be challenged.

They want to be confirmed. Be the confirmation of their brilliance. When they look at [music] you, let them see the best version of themselves staring back.

They will become addicted to your presence because [music] you make them feel understood in a way no one else does. Law [music] six, become the gatekeeper of information. In the old world, land was power.

In the modern world, information is power. [music] But not just any information. secret information.

Powerful people are often isolated. [music] They are surrounded by yesmen who tell them what they want to hear. They are starving for the truth, starving for the pulse of the streets.

If you can be the person who brings them valuable, unfiltered [music] intelligence, you become indispensable. You become their eyes and ears. [music] Did you hear what the competition is planning?

I found a flaw in the system that no one is telling you [music] about. There is a shift in the market that you need to see. Do not be a gossip.

Be an intellectual spy. Curate [music] information that protects them or gives them an edge. When you trade in secrets, you elevate your [music] status.

You are no longer an outsider. You are a conspirator. And there is no bond stronger than [music] the bond between co-conspirators.

But a warning, never reveal all your [music] sources. Maintain the monopoly on your information supply. If they can get the info without you, they don't need you.

[music] Keep the source hidden. Deliver the fruit. Law seven, the law of the useful [music] enemy.

Nothing bonds two people faster than a shared enemy. [music] Sociologists call this inroup outgroup bias. We like people who hate the same things [music] we hate.

If you want to connect with a powerful person, find out what they despise. Do they hate inefficiency? Do they hate bureaucracy?

[music] Do they hate a specific rival philosophy? Do they hate the [music] status quo? Align yourself with that hatred.

Validate their frustration. I can't believe [music] how mediocre the industry has become. It's exactly what you were saying.

[music] When you validate their enemies, you validate their struggle. You validate their [music] heroism. You are saying, "I see the dragon you are fighting, and I am here to hand you the sword.

" Be careful [music] not to be purely negative. It must be a righteous indignation. We are the few sane ones in a world of madness.

This creates a [music] cult-like dynamic between the two of you, us against the world. And in [music] the trenches of that imaginary war, deep loyalty is forged. Law [music] 8, play to their fantasy.

Machaveli knew that people do not live in reality. They live in their fantasies of who they should be. >> [music] >> The brutal CEO wants to see himself as a benevolent father figure.

The chaotic artist wants to see herself as a disciplined visionary. The insecure politician wants to see himself as a savior. [music] Your job is to identify their fantasy and play the supporting role.

If they want to be the wise teacher, [music] you become the eager student. Ask them for advice. Let them lecture you.

[music] Let them feel wise. If they want to be the rebel, you become the accomplice. [music] If they want to be the king, you become the loyal knight.

Do not force them to face their reality. Reality is painful. [music] That is why they have money to insulate themselves from it.

If you are the one person who supports their delusion, they will [music] protect you with their life. Because if you leave, the fantasy crumbles. You become the prop that holds up their self-image.

[music] This sounds manipulative because it is. But remember we are not talking about friendship. We are talking about connecting [music] with power and power is a theater.

Learn your lines, play your part. Law nine, mastery of emotional alchemy. [music] Powerful people are high stress individuals.

They carry the weight of empires, employees, and millions of dollars. Their internal world is often a storm of anxiety and pressure. Most people [music] add to that storm.

They bring problems. They bring drama. They bring urgent emails.

To be untouchable, you must be the calm. You must be the emotional anchor. [music] When they are frantic, you are slow.

When they are angry, you are steady. You must learn to transmute their [music] energy, absorb their chaos, and reflect back clarity. I understand the problem.

Here is the solution. It is handled. Those three words, it is handled, are the most seductive words you can [music] speak to a powerful person.

You are taking the weight off their shoulders. You become a sanctuary. They will start to crave meetings with you.

Not [music] because of the business, but because of how you make them feel. You make [music] them feel safe. You make them feel in control.

In a world of noise, be the silence. In a world of fire, be the water. If you can lower their cortisol, [music] you can raise your price.

Law 10. Assume formlessness. Machaveli praises the fox for its ability to adapt.

[music] Bruce Lee said, "Be water, the rigid break, the flexible survive. " When dealing with power, you cannot have a rigid ego. [music] You must be adaptable to the situation.

Some days you need to be aggressive. Some days you need to be submissive. [music] Some days you need to be the leader.

other days the follower. Do not get attached to a single identity. [music] If you insist on being yourself, you will clash with people who do not fit your mold.

Formlessness is [music] defense. If you have no shape, you cannot be hit. If you have no shape, you can fit into any keyhole.

Adapt [music] to the culture of the person you are connecting with. If they are formal, wear a suit. If they are casual, wear jeans.

If [music] they drink whiskey, you drink whiskey. Remove the friction. Make it easy for them to assimilate you into their world.

The perfect [music] spy is the one who looks exactly like the citizens. Blend in so you can stand out when it matters. Law 11.

Create dependence. [music] This is the ultimate Machavelian law. Make yourself necessary to those above you.

If [music] they can replace you with a LinkedIn job posting, you are unsafe. You must weave yourself into the fabric [music] of their success. Find a task that they hate doing but that is essential to their survival and master [music] it.

Take ownership of a client relationship that they cannot afford to lose. Hold the keys [music] to a system that only you understand. Become the bridge between them and something they want.

If you are [music] the bridge, they cannot burn you. Do not teach them how to do what you do. [music] Keep the skill esoteric.

The more they rely on you for their peace of [music] mind, the more power you have. Independence is a myth in networking. The [music] goal is mutual entanglement.

You want them to wake up at 3:00 a. m. and think, [music] "My god, what would I do if your name left?

" Once you achieve that thought in their mind, you have won. You can ask for [music] the raise. You can ask for the partnership because you are no longer an employee.

[music] You are an organ and you do not cut out your own heart. [music] Law 12. Control the options.

The most powerful person in the room is not the one shouting orders. It is the one who wrote the [music] menu. When you present choices to a powerful person, do not give them infinite options.

That causes [music] decision fatigue. Curate the options. We can do A which risks X or we can do B which gains Y.

Frame the choices so that the option you want them to pick [music] is the only logical one. This is the illusion of control. You let them [music] make the decision so they feel like the king.

But you built the road they are walking on. Makaveli advised, "A wise prince should rely on what is in his own control, not on what is in the control of others. By controlling the framework [music] of the conversation, you control the outcome.

Never ask open-ended [music] questions like what do you want to do? That is lazy. Say here are the three paths [music] I recommend.

Path two is the strongest. What is your command? You are doing the thinking.

[music] They are doing the authorizing. You are the architect. They are the signary.

Law 13. [music] Radical autonomy. And here we arrive at the final most important law.

The paradox that makes all other laws work. To connect with [music] powerful people, you must not need them. If your soul depends on their approval, they will smell it.

They will smell the hunger [music] and they will treat you like a fan. True power recognizes true power. [music] You must cultivate a sense of radical autonomy.

You must have your own kingdom, even [music] if it is small. You must have your own code, your own vision. You must be willing to walk away from the [music] deal.

The person who is willing to walk away holds all the leverage. When you sit across from a [music] billionaire, you must know deep in your marrow that you will be fine without them. You are not [music] there to take.

You are there to trade. This energy shift changes everything. Your voice drops an [music] octave.

Your eye contact holds a second longer. You stop fidgeting. You become solid.

And that solidity is magnetic. Powerful people are lonely because everyone around them is fluid, bending to their will. [music] When they meet someone who is solid, someone who respects them but does not worship them, they are [music] fascinated.

Be the rock. Be the sovereign of your own mind. Connect from a place of wholeness, [music] not a place of lack.

Take a breath. Let those laws settle in. I know what you are thinking.

This sounds cold. This sounds calculating. This sounds manipulative.

[music] It is. But look around you. Look at the world you live in.

Look at the structures of your company, your government, your society. Do you think they were built on hugs and transparency? [music] Or were they built on strategy, leverage, and understanding human nature?

You have a [music] choice. You can remain innocent. You can cling to the idea that the world should be fair.

[music] You can stay in the passenger seat complaining about the driver or you can grab the wheel. Machaveli was not evil. He was [music] honest.

He looked into the abyss of human behavior and didn't blink. He saw that we are driven by fears, by ego, by the need for security. To use these laws is [music] not to abuse people.

It is to understand them better than they understand themselves. [music] It is to speak to their shadows, not just their masks. When you apply these laws, the dynamic shifts instantly.

[music] You stop being invisible. You stop looking for a savior and you become the strategist. You realize that powerful people are [music] just players who learned the rules earlier than you did.

They are waiting for someone real, someone who understands [music] the game to walk through the door. That someone is you. The 13 laws are not chains.

[music] They are keys. But holding the keys is useless if you do not have the discipline to turn the lock. This level of psychological mastery is not a destination.

[music] It is a daily practice. The world is designed to put you back to sleep, to make you compliant, to make you a porn. If you refuse to go back to the herd, if you are ready to sharpen your mind until it cuts through the noise, then make the choice right now.

Do not just watch [music] align. Click the subscribe button not to support the channel but to make a contract with yourself to signal that you are done being a spectator. [music] Welcome to the inner circle.