Chapter 52. The Feel-Good Factor Fosters Commitment from Others

When Lyndon B. Johnson was in the U.S. Senate, he used to tell mentors like Sam Rayburn and Franklin Roosevelt, “You’re just like a daddy to me.” In his homey Texas way, LBJ associated himself with a “feel-good factor”: Because his mentors felt good about themselves when they were with him, they felt good about him too. It’s as simple as that.

I call this behavior “paying homage.” This may sound like a rather antiquated concept—the type of thing people do to kings and queens and in history books. However, it is important to realize that today’s business office is no less full of hierarchies and allegiances than the courts of yesteryear, and it is in your best interests to observe and ...

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