Poor Richard's Junto: management science, entrepreneurship, business ownership, management

This blog dares leaders to do better. We encourage those managers with the wits to change and we exchange ideas in management science to mutual benefit and personal development. This is the place for those leaders who admonish folly and hubris and yet are devoted to continuous mental development, entrepreneurship, business ownership, & business management. As such, let this be a forum for thought leaders, CEOs, and business owners as Ben Franklin once did with the Junto and his almanac.

If two men exchange dollars; each man stands to gain a dollar. However, let these men exchange ideas, and each stands to gain a fortune.

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Monday, October 22, 2012

Is the Cunning Leader to be Admired?


The word “cunning” is often used as a complimentary term in regards to businessmen. Often popular business profiles describe the glory of the cunning CEO who negotiated the upper hand in a business deal to great fanfare. Ben Franklin thought differently of the description however. Ben described cunning as a vice that is purely personal and cannot be practiced amongst free assemblies.  “A cunning man is obliged to hunt his game alone and to live in the dark. He is incapable of counsel and advice because his dishonest purpose dies upon discovery.” He continued, “Cunning therefore is the wisdom of a fool; one who has designs that he dare not own.” Certainly then, the cunning man could never have true friends anymore than he could be one.

On the other hand, a virtuous and honorable man is able to bear a conference of free debate. He is able to benefit from the law of attraction as his purpose becomes known. Reputation precedes him and works for him.  Wisdom and business savvy are surely to be held in high esteem.  However, the craftiness and deception which are commonly associated with cunning I would argue are a far cry from being admirable.  In fact, I would say that those who would resort to stacking the deck are the very same who cannot play the game.  The practices are short sighted and breed suspicion.  Be careful of those who shower you in affection for it’s often a means to disguise intention.  For the honorable, they recognize virtue is an equivalent of wisdom.   

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