Law 4
Always Say Less than Necessary When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinx-like. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.
Citibank, Ferrari, The Carlyle Group...just three names of a growing number of international companies who have one shareholder in common: Mubadala, the investment arm of Abu Dhabi. Unlike its neighbouring emirate Dubai, Abu Dhabi has always eschewed a showy nature, opting instead for a more conservative approach. While it may not be courting headlines, the emirate is quietly building up an increasingly impressive portfolio of global investments and partnerships designed to bring prosperity to the emirate.
Law 6
Court Attention at all Cost
Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colourful, more mysterious, than the bland and timid masses.
If there is one thing Dubai cannot be accused of, it’s being discreet. Developers in this not so lovingly dubbed Las Vegas of the Middle East quickly fastened onto the a guaranteed way to grab attention – to build a tall tower. Not just any tall tower, of course, but the world’s tallest tower. In 2007 the 333-metre Rose Rotana Tower in Dubai snatched the title of tallest building completed that year and once it opens its doors to guests this year, it will claim the accolade of tallest hotel in the world. Dwarfing the Rose Rotana Tower is the 809-metre Burj Dubai, aiming for the much showier title of world’s tallest building. Still under construction, its height has already surpassed that of Chicago’s Sears Tower, although its exact final measurements remain a closely guarded secret until completion.
Law 16
Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honour
Too much circulation makes the price go down: The more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear. If you are already established in a group, temporary withdrawal from it will make you more talked about, even more admired. You must learn when to leave. Create value through scarcity.
There are magazines that can be found well-thumbed at every local hairdressing salon and then there are those that can be found discretely placed in some of the region’s most tasteful homes and powerful offices. It goes without saying which category Bespoke falls into. Like its readers, Bespoke understands the value of understatement, the pure definition of luxury and stays true to its appreciation for the finer things in life. It also understands that remaining under the radar intrigues people, increasing your demand value.
Law 25
Re-Create Yourself
Do not accept the roles that society foists on you. Re-create yourself by forging a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define if for you. Incorporate dramatic devices into your public gestures and actions – your power will be enhanced and your character will seem larger than life.
Although its ceo once quipped that it had an ambition to become bigger than the United Nations, MTC Vodafone has made no joke about its aspiration to become one of the top companies worldwide in the next three years. In 2007, it moved one step closer to its ambition with a successful re-branding exercise in the Middle East which saw it emerge with the new name, Zain. The company’s fresh moniker and snappy logo is already moving on to Africa where from June Celtel Communications (acquired by Zain in 2006), will adopt the new branding. With more than 42.4 million individual and business customers in 22 countries, the company is well on its way to breathing life into its corporate global vision.
Law 27
Play on People’s Need to Believe to Create a Cult-like Following
People have an overwhelming desire to believe in something. Become the focal point of such desire by offering them a cause, a new faith to follow. Keep your words vague but full of promise; emphasize enthusiasm over rationality and clear thinking. Give your new disciples rituals to perform, ask them to make sacrifices on your behalf. In the absence of organised religion and grand causes, your new belief system will bring you untold power.
Like most other comic book heroes before him, Carlos Ghosn is a man of legendary superpowers. Unlike other comic book heroes, his rise to fame is a real life story that has seen him score huge success in his field. His immortalisation in a Japanese cartoon is just one plaudit of a career as the world’s most revered business trouble-shooter. Lebanese by heritage, Brazilian by birth, this is the man who managed to overturn Japanese traditions and win the nation over in the process as the first non-native head of a major Japanese automaker, Nissan. Replicating his success, most notably with Renault, Ghosn has the accolade of successfully managing carmakers across continents with ease.
Law 35
Master the Art of Timing
Never seem to be in a hurry – hurrying betrays a lack of control over yourself, and over time. Always seem patient, as if you know that everything will come to you eventually. Become a detective of the right moment; sniff out the spirit of the times, the trends that will carry you to power. Learn to stand back when the time is not yet ripe, and to strike fiercely when it has reached fruition.
In the Saudi world of business, the adage patience is a virtue certainly rings true. Just hours before a scheduled press conference to announce a 1.25 billion USD initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange and Dubai International Financial Exchange, Oger Telecom (controlled by Saudi Oger) called the whole thing off. The decision came amid “increasingly challenging and volatile regional market conditions,” although the company maintained that the IPO could still be on the table once market conditions improved. Playing the waiting game has certainly paid off with the recent announcement that Saudi Telecom is to buy a 35 per cent stake in Oger Telecom for 2.6 billion USD and the following news that Oger Telecom will use some of the funds to bid for a stake in South African fixed-line operator Telkom.
Law 40
Despise the Free Lunch
What is offered for free is dangerous – it usually involves either a trick or a hidden obligation. What has worth is worth paying for. By paying your own way you stay clear of gratitude, guilt and deceit. It is also often wise to pay the full price – there is no cutting corners with excellence. Be lavish with your money and keep it circulating, for generosity is a sign and a magnet for power.
If you’ve ever wondered why most glossy magazines in the Middle East, Bespoke being the exception, are stuffed with irrelevant news and photos of vacuous people at boring events, blame the free lunch. No advertising sales girl can live without her life support machine of PR events and freebies that lead to a corrupt editorial policy (or lack of it). While the sales girls are getting kicks out of the perks of the job, the magazines end up with nil credibility and disgruntled readers faced with a mishmash of blatant advertising. The Middle East media industry would do well to follow Law 40.
Law 41
Avoid Stepping into a Great Man’s Shoes
What happens first always appears better and more original than what comes after. If you succeed a great man or have a famous parent, you will have to accomplish double their achievements to outshine them. Do not get lost in their shadow, or stuck in a past not of your own making: Establish your own name and identity by changing course. Slay the overbearing father, disparage his legacy, and gain power by shining in your own way.
“I am not happy with what has happened, but it had to be done and I had to do it.” Such were the words of Qatar’s Crown Prince Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani after ousting his ruling father in 1995’s bloodless coup. With the allegiance of the ruling al-Thani family, he went on to set the country on a path of liberalisation and modernisation that has seen it emerge as one of the region’s booming economies.
Law 45
Preach the Need for Change, but Never Reform too much at Once
Everyone understands the need for change in the abstract, but on the day-to-day level people are creatures of habit. Too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to revolt. If you are new to a position of power, or an outsider trying to build a power base, make a show of respecting the old way of doing things. If change is necessary, make it feel like a gentle improvement on the past.
Take a Gulf country whose absolute power rests with a monarchy and whose laws reflect traditions that stretch back hundreds of years and it would be hard to imagine much in the way of reform or modernisation taking place. But in Saudi Arabia, despite the heavy yoke of history and tradition, business reforms are being smoothly integrated into the existing culture. The result is a country in full economic bloom with burgeoning foreign direct investment and a healthy rising GDP.
Law 47
Do not go Past the Mark you Aimed for; In Victory, Learn when to Stop
The moment of victory is often the moment of greatest peril. In the heat of victory, arrogance and overconfidence can push you past the goal you had aimed for, and by going too far, you make more enemies than you defeat. Do not allow success to go to your head. There is no substitute for strategy and careful planning. Set a goal, and when you reach it, stop.
With a former Halliburton ceo in plum position as Vice President of the United States, the logistics and oil services firm won big time from the war in Iraq as the Pentagon’s largest private contractor handed lucrative billion dollar contracts. It wasn’t long though before Halliburton was hit by controversy and scandal, with rumours of corruption, incompetence and overcharging bringing unwelcome headlines and investigations of its dealings in Iraq, Kuwait and Nigeria. Last year’s announcement that the company was moving headquarters from Houston to Dubai didn’t help lift the veil of suspicion, with one US senator saying “it doesn't look good, doesn't sound good, doesn't smell good.”
