My wife and my friends all know that I'm a big fan of Netflix’s House of Cards. I happened to watch the first episode of season 1 on a whim and finished the entire season in a weekend. In it, the main character Frank Underwood is a ruthless politician who narrates his deception in the Capitol and ascension to the highest posts of government. I don't encourage that behavior but the interesting thing, though, is that many Frank-isms shared are very suitable for folks in the business world.

Fifteen of these nuggets of wisdom from this fictitious politician can serve as good reminders for us in the workplace when it comes to presenting ourselves, dealing with conflict or planning our careers.

1. “Pay attention to the fine print. It’s far more important than the asking price”

Everyone has been there: something seems like the most amazing deal ever, you pull out the checkbook and sign & then the harsh reality rears its ugly head. While it’s true that technically the price of the good/service is X, you really are looking at X+Y+Z+etc. You have to do your due diligence whenever you are spending your resources be they money, time or anything else.

2. “Treading water is the same as drowning for people like you and me”

For people who have high aspirations about their careers, upward trajectory is paramount. These goal-oriented women and men want to see that they are constantly achieving something- they are on par for the bigger client or better job, or perhaps learning something new is the reward they seek. The fact is that they cannot trick themselves into being satisfied about doing the same thing without their resume getting more value over time.

3. “A cat likes to play with a mouse before the killing blow”

There are good habits and bad habits – whether they are yours or someone else’s. Obviously we want to cultivate and promote good habits but what about the bad ones? Our goal should be to cut the bad habits or bad behavior out early. The reason I mention this advice here is that if you turn a blind eye to someone (or some people) misbehaving with you, it may be too late to put a stop to it and you may be powerless to prevent something happening to you.

4. “Sometimes the only way to gain your superior’s respect is to defy him”

Nobody likes a yes man. Well, maybe it should actually be that nobody great likes a yes man. We should all seek a diverse group of people to interact with, we should be challenged on our ideas (in an appropriate manner) and we should be free thinkers. If you appear mindless or spineless, as a “yes man” would, then you will soon be the first person thought of for mundane or painful tasks that are neither valuable for your career or worthy of your time. If you show your boss that you can think for yourself and you are analytical about a problem or task, it will raise your stock price in their eyes.

5. “Generosity is its own form of power”

I always encourage people to do something for others. Everyone who has seen success has had someone who helped them in some way, shape or form. It doesn’t have to be a handout, but someone took a chance on them or someone supported them along the way and they are usually excited about doing the same for someone they feel worthy. It doesn’t have to be a concept of “things coming around” that motivates you but you should know that one of the keys to good networking is helping people out without ever knowing if you’ll be able to ask them for something.

6. “I won’t shackle myself to people I don’t know”

In life – be it the office, your friends circle, or a random public setting – perception is reality. What people think of you can be more important than what you actually are. Many people have a hard time of coming to terms with this, though they understand it in theory. The biggest thing is that your professional acquaintances, the people you spend your time with are reflections on you especially with people outside of your immediate line of sight. Executives, known for their quick decision-making, may lump you in with a group of people they know/have judged and you might not get a chance to do anything about it. Choose your circle with discretion.



7. “The nature of promises, Linda, is that they remain immune to changing circumstances”

One of the fundamental traits that people want to see in people they interact with at work is honesty and authenticity. Employees want this from their companies, bosses want it from their subordinates, teammates from one another, clients from vendors, etc. To show yourself as someone who doesn’t waffle when times are tough or when a promise becomes difficult to deliver will benefit you for a long term in that person’s eyes or the eyes of many people you didn’t know were watching/listening. Mr. Atkinson from high school always reminded us “You said, you meant it, now do it”.

8. “It only takes ten seconds to crush a man’s ambitions”

When Frank said this in the show, he was gloating about how he could crush those ambitions swiftly. I’m not here to encourage ruthlessness but rather to show you the other side of the coin ­– you can say or do something that might completely crush someone’s goals or happiness. It may be speaking dismissively about an idea not knowing it was your teammate’s or might happen when you ask your team to finish up a task and they have to cancel a birthday celebration they had planned for a colleague who’s had a rough year to do it. You may not know it, but you could unintentionally be the proverbial thorn in someone’s side.

9. “It’s so refreshing to work with someone who’ll throw a saddle on a gift horse rather than look it in the mouth”

People complain… lots. They complain about their commute, their salary, their boss(es), their families, their parking, taxes, benefits, etc. The one thing you have to realize is that sometimes being a person who just says “yes” with a smile is refreshing or it could be the pivotal moment in your boss’s day. Being able to take something small and be visibly thankful about it can help make other people feel appreciated or generous (#5).

10. “We are nothing more or less than we choose to reveal”

I don’t believe offices are places where you completely check your personal life at the door and pick it up at the end of the day to examine for the changes. People talk about their families, hobbies, weekends, etc. in office settings. I give one piece of advice to everyone on this: don’t be a robot, let people know the human being behind the nameplate but also use discretion to avoid unfavorable impressions to be created about you.

11. “Do not start a war you know you’re going to lose”

Pick and choose your battles. Know that you ought to talk to your boss about your grievances in private rather than in the team meeting. Understand that fighting with your teammates will be looked at as foolish and wasteful. Have the foresight to know that some things are worth fighting for and confidence that you’ve chosen the right one when you decide you have to stand up for something.

12. “If you want to earn my loyalty then you will have to offer yours in return”

It’s a two way street – it always has and it always will be. You have to show that you are a trustworthy person with honor and reliability through your actions before you can even think of getting the same from anyone.

13. “I hate being kept waiting in the dark… waiting… speculating… useless”

The worst thing your manager wants to hear is bad news followed up by the knowledge that you had information about it and thought not to tell him/her. Be up front, explain the situation simply and candidly and offer up whatever information you have towards a solution. You may want to quarterback making things right, but a QB has 10 other people on the field with him to make that happen.

14. “From this moment on you are a rock. You absorb nothing, you say nothing and nothing breaks you”

Sometimes you have to psyche yourself up. Research has shown that saying things to yourself in a mirror in a positive tone or with a “powerful” stance can help you reinforce belief in yourself. Give yourself a shot of confidence and adrenaline once in a while (or often!) to keep yourself going. My wife will attest to the fact that I often play music that gets me amped up while I’m in the shower or getting ready. Whatever works, right?

15. “That’s how you devour a whale – one bite at a time”

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably got a list of goals for yourself. Some of those may be small and incremental and some may be giant herculean tasks. Regardless of what you’ve got in front of you, the best way to start is break it down to small manageable tasks and before you know you'll be done with your goal.

Best of luck - the Underwoods and the rest of the country are watching.

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