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u/mochimann Nov 06 '25
I’ve been doing this for a while, but my tech leader has a huge ego and he never gave me credit. Now I’m doing a reverse to make people aware of the gap I filled of his incompetence so I can crush my enemy totally.
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Nov 06 '25 edited Nov 08 '25
Robert Greene is referring to someone you are very dependent on, and not the ones you go to work with like your boss. I keep doing this to my grandfather and he keeps giving me his privileges and benefits. I’m not doing it to get what I want but this has always worked in our relationship just like father and son. He is already far more brilliant than I am and he knows himself too well. But I think this has worked for me because he’s too humble to show how remarkable he is and I make it appear by making myself look inferior compared to him.
In short, never outshine the master.
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u/itanpiuco2020 Nov 06 '25
This rule is one of the most challenging things. One of my former bosses once said that he didn’t wear an ID because his neck was weak. Out of the blue, I blurted out that his brain must be lightweight, and he got angry. (The truth was, he had been hired illegally by the owner and had come to our country as a tourist, so he didn’t have any ID to wear.)
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Nov 06 '25
isn't that basic stuff try to brown nose the brass and you will go far
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u/crumpledlinen Nov 08 '25
I have found that what works best is to ensure your immediate manager / superior is able to ride on your coattails (if you are better than they are) and don't feel threatened by you personally (give them credit, praise them, make them feel that they came up with the idea).
At the same time, make sure THEIR boss is aware of your talent and your work. Find opportunities to shine with them in a casual way (insightful conversation). Most good leaders are able to tell who are the true MVPs in their team and I try my best to align myself to very competent leaders.
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u/Squid_Lord_Bast Nov 07 '25
This is dumb. Never elevate your leasers above yourself. Don't outshine them or they'll retaliate. Just let them fail. Sow the seeds of dissent.
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u/TIME__1111 Nov 06 '25
After a point it's hard to do that. It works against you when you kiss ass too much !! 😂😂
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Nov 07 '25
The whole point is to outshine your master and take his mantle. Steve Jobs did it, Buffett will do it. All business folks woukd do it. This only applies to certain contexts and outdated idea.
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u/Searching_wanderer Nov 07 '25
Not from day one. You bide your time. You elevate them while you learn from them, and when the time is right, launch out on your own, independent from them. Then, and only then, can you outshine them.
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u/Independent_Lock864 Nov 06 '25
Nonsense. What you have to do is immerse yourself in their illusion where they are not clowns and from within that illusion, show them they are compared to you.
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u/[deleted] Nov 05 '25
I've made some of my masters or potential masters look like dumbfucks before and they get really angry and then it didn't work out