The Sorcerer (II)

On August 17, 2010, in Leadership magic, by Neculai Fantanaru

Show your confidence in the properties that provide advantages to your model of perfection, by taking an offensive position throughout the changing.

In order to take his revenge plans to an end, Edmond Dantes had to throw into battle all his weapons, to make use of all his powers, cunningness being his most precious guide. None of his enemies must stand against the inevitable and, for that, it was necessary to distract their attention, to scare them, let them fall prey to desperation.

The world opened at his feet

Dantes was no longer burdened by the years spent in jail, but stately and strong, wise and rich. He had regained the strength of his body and his mind. And as the days passed by, he felt like he was becoming stronger and stronger. And as the days passed, his calling was stronger and stronger. He mustn't restrain it.

The entire power of a sorcerer depends on the other people's unknowing. Nobody must be in the position to ask questions or parry one of the decisions that Dante had already taken. He had no choice, he had to make himself forgotten. So he contorted reality by taking another identity. He assumed the identity of a very rich count and he was skilled enough to hide his true nature, thus tricking everybody. His ability to hide and to dissimulate was so big and convincing that absolutely nobody got through that indestructible wall, thick as those of an imposing citadel.

His kingdom was infinite. He was either a lord, either a pries, either a philanthropist, either a chemist, either a physicist. He was neither French, Indian, Arab or Spaniard – he was cosmopolitan, he had taken up the customs in each and every country, he spoke all the foreign languages. But no country could say it had seen him born.

He earned his fame of a superior man, as if a superior force had taken him to the top of the highest mountain. He was complete, impenetrable. All the people, but his enemies especially, had acknowledged his power and will. He was seen as a man whose knowledge and intelligence surpass by far the usual knowledge and intelligence of other people. The count knew everybody, but nobody knew him.

The man with the black cape and cold blood

The man is nothing more than a human being, while a sorcerer is more than a human being, he is a superhuman being endowed with powers, unsuspected gifts – if he wants, he can give orders to the wind, he can even change the laws of existence.

This is the image that Edmond Dantes, alias the Count of Monte Cristo, built for himself in front of the people, with a lot of skills and a special insistence - the image of a sorcerer, who had his ways, stern, mysterious and hard to reach. Indeed, only a wise mind, an intelligent nature like the one of a sorcerer could exert in such a measure his influence/domination on everybody.

The Count had always been careful to dress in black and to have a sober feeling in order to give the feeling of an uncertain and great shadow, a man of darkness, very dangerous, always increasing his feeling of mystery. His appearance always seemed to be miraculous. In fact, he had this amazing power to transform everything, no matter where he had been, into an atmosphere full of uncertainty and unforeseen, a stern an defending atmosphere, threatening for all its enemies. They all felt instinctively that danger loomed upon their heads.

The leader has a great power of decision in people's lives

You cannot be somebody if you don't work hard in order to be somebody. Or, in other words, if you don't become famous, then nobody will follow you. Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the principle that Edmond Dantes followed in reaching his main goal - revenge. He knew that the only way to succeed was to increase his power of influence, to become somebody – a special, superior person, who can penetrate the high society of those times. And he succeeded, taking a new identity, using his vast knowledge and psychological abilities to situate himself above everybody else.

Edmond Dantes succeeded in leadership because he had a very good strategy on all plans. But he had an ace he knew how to use in his favor: he had the power to turn from a simple sailor with limited knowledge into a character with manners, with extraordinary knowledge, having a deduction ability above average. He had the power to change lives, he had a power of decision in people's lives, he left his mark on all the people he met and more than that.

The conclusion to be drawn here is that in order to triumph in leadership, you must get to be known, to be in the center of the general attention and sometimes to turn yourself into another person, a superior man. This metamorphosis doesn't rely on wealth, but on a more important treasure: studying, acquiring new knowledge in various fields, behavior, language, character, attitude and even… the adequate look in society.

Have you created to yourself from leadership a model of perfection? How do you demonstrate confidence in the properties that provide advantages to this model? What position are you taking throughout your journey towards excellence? Can you identify the basic steps of the process of changing? It is boldness your most precious guide?

How do you increase your power of influence? Are you making use of your vast knowledge and psychological skills to get above all? Could you transmogrify into a superior man? How do you use your amazing power to change the people around you?

 

Note: Alexandre Dumas - Contele de Monte Cristo, Editura Tineretului, 1957.