Using Body Language to Your Advantage in Business 249
The advisor
Whether trusted by the king because he has saved his hide
before, or simply because the king feels they are like-minded, he is
the confidant of leadership. A difficult person to read because he
may have no outward opinions, he is the most dangerous of the
informal leaders: discrediting him means discrediting the king him-
self. Why was President Bush so fiercely protective of former
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld? It called his judgment into
question to allow the media to beat up Rumsfeld.
The instigator
The instigator holds no power, either official or otherwise. His
only power is to stir up trouble. When displeased, he can cause
things to go awry, and may not have the ability to undo the damage.
In some cases, it is because he is a well-liked typical; in others, a
quirky super-typical. In any event, his importance centers on his
ability to derail your plans, so you need to read his body language
for signs of irritation. Killing off the instigator does no good. The
microculture will spawn another just like him. Your best opportunity
is to co-opt him.
The coalition builder
This first-cousin of the instigator also cannot exist without strife.
He finds a way to compromise all of the groups and convince them
that they are happy with the outcome. The most successful coalition