Book Review: The Mafia Manager by V

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The Mafia Manager” (A Guide to the Corporate Machiavelli) is a book of 128 pages written in 1991, appears as a dangerous book you would love to love – full of ruthless mafia secrets and business strategies.

In “The Mafia Manager” you find so many no-nonsense business advice and successful principles; principles that guarantee improved business growth. It opens with a quote from the infamous Al Capone:

“You can get a lot done more with a kind word and a gun than with a kind word alone”.

“The Mafia Manager” is written primarily to let us into the dark, dark world as V refers to it as “This Thing of Ours (Mafia)” and also provides us with knowledge on how to legitimately get to the top which he refers to as “This Thing of Yours”. “The Mafia Manager” is a must read for aspiring entrepreneurs who intend to build conglomerates and rise to stardom in the nearest foreseeable future.

“The Mafia Manager” exposes management techniques used by the oldest and best- organized conglomerates, combining Mafia and Cartel mantra with the business strategies of the capitalist society. The name of the author is shrouded in secrecy and he only goes by the acronym V. He says ‘MAFIA’ stands for honour, vengeance and solidarity and puts the acronym as ‘Mothers And Fathers Italian Association’…or whatever we choose to believe. “The Mafia Manager shuns theoretical verbiage and instead presents the pragmatism and guiding philosophy of the leadership that founded and captained “The Silent Empire” through its centuries of expansion and success”.

After reading through the book, I came to the conclusion that most successful executives, had adopted the principles of The Mafia Manager. Entrepreneur greats like Larry Ellison, Ingvar Kamprad, Donald Trump, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Howard Hughes, Ted Turner, Richard Branson, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Carlos Slim Helu followed these principles to be a success.

He posits how “The Mafia Manager’s leadership techniques have assisted these entrepreneur greats to position their companies to dominate their industry – the leadership style and techniques helped the Mayer Amschel Rothschild to become the richest and one of the most powerful men in the world in his time. He talks about the exceptional CEOs and Leaders of the capitalist society.

V views the world as treacherous and ruthless and must be handled mercilessly as he cares less about what you think. The Mafia Manager recommends measures that should be taken to get to and remain at the top. Rather than embellishing what he thinks about the world, he presents his thoughts raw, depicting his “penetrating understanding of the dynamics of human nature”.

“The Mafia Manager” is separated into three distinct parts:

Part I: MANAGING YOURSELF: Here it is split into subtitles that talks about getting there, office politicking, friendship (and enemies), time management, problems, business handling, decision making.

Part II: MANAGING OTHERS: In this second part, the subtitles thereunder are clearly structured and discusses: hiring and relationship disposition, temperament and gives general advice on how to manage others.

Part III: THE REST OF IT: This is the third and final part. It focuses all aspects of business life – the competitive struggle, negotiating, the rich, liars, secrecy, a role model etc.

My Summary and Conclusion:

“The Mafia Manager” is very interesting and didactic. It dwells on ruthlessness, manipulation, enemies, friends, patience, women and men, authority, respect, restraint, and discipline, loyalty etc The book is full of suspense and it is un-put-downable when reading. Yet, I find it very confusing and in conflict with my faith as V states that: “The most important thing in your business is a reputation for honesty. If you can genuinely and sincerely fake honesty, you’ll be a success” This is highly antithetical and deceiving!
Nevertheless, I recommend “The Mafia Manager” for growing entrepreneurs as it teaches uncommon and underground business success secrets.

“The Mafia Manager” Review was written by Agolo Uzorka Eugene (CEO/ Lead Consultant, Eugene + George Consulting Limited (www.eugenegeorgeconsulting.com)