So it seems that this was the week of licking wounds and assessing fallout after the Battle of Rook's Rest. With both sides a dragon lighter, it was a time to prepare for the next part of the war between Green and Black. Morale is low on both sides of the Targaryen table, albeit it seems that House Black seem to have the slight edge, even despite the loss of the formidable Rhaenys and her dragon Meleys.
The Greens are struggling on many fronts, and quickly losing the people of King's Landing. The people are starving, fuming at the parade of a dead dragon, and now locked inside the city gates. Even within the small council, Criston seems a shell of himself, and Alicent becomes increasingly fearful of her own offspring. That's before we mention the fact that King Aegon II is on the medieval equivalent of life support, and unsure to ever fully recover.
Of course the Blacks, with problems of their own, are unable to quite see this, until our quoter of the week, Mysaria, lets Rhaenyra in on the problems faced back in King's Landing.
"What you cannot do, let others do for you "- Mysaria
In typical Mysaria fashion, the quote comes in somewhat the form of a riddle, but I interpret it as having a couple of meanings:
Allowing the enemy to unravel themself, rather than trying to hard to do it. Given Rhaenyra's smaller army numbers (minus the dragons), this is the perfect strategy
Using tactics other than brute strength, such as working with her extensive network throughout King's Landing
So let's have a look at these themes.
Allowing the other side to do all of the hard work is very much present in Chris Voss' 'Never Split the Difference'. In business, we're hardly dealing with enemies, but of course it's often the case that there's another side of the table with which we're dealing. His use of the key question 'how am I supposed to do that' when someone puts you in an impossible position in a negotiation works wonders. It flips the other side of the table into problem solving mode, and so conflict turns to collaboration. You can pick up a Kindle deal for relatively cheap, and I highly recommend this book!
When you're fixated upon a goal, 'doing nothing', or doing something that feels like taking a backseat can seem like the most counterintuitive thing possible. I've often really struggled with this in my own career. I take responsibility for my own outcomes, sometimes with little patience for letting things unravel on the 'chess board', so to speak. Doing all the talking, or all the doing, in a negotiation or conflict is not always the wisest move. Allowing the other side to move toward solutioning, especially when they've put you in a bind, can really open up various possibilities.
Where this advice will not work, is if you're not squeaky clean yourself. Perfection is required when deploying this strategy. If you don't meet your obligations, or in the case of Rhaenyra, you don't come across as a 'better alternative', then the incumbent effect will always favour the Greens. In a show of parallels, it's fascinating to see how Daemon is managing to simultaneously gain ground and undermine the position of House Black, risking further their perception among the smallfolk. Not only is the word tyrant levelled at him by the small folk of the Riverlands, but even his own wife is struggling to understand whether he's raising an army in her name or his own. Rhaneyra knows, as should you, that you need to get your own house in order before you go out trying to change the world.
Onto our second concept from the quote, we think about using intellect and networks rather than brute strength. We see Mysaria's accomplice head back to King's Landing, going directly past the guard without them so much as batting an eyelid. In Westeros, double agents are abound.
It's interesting that the level of trust within the network also comes to the fore in this episode. We've already addressed the problem Rhaenyra faces with understanding where Daemon's loyalty lies, and to add insult to injury, we see her wrestling for authority in our own small council. However whatever Rhaenyra faces seems to plague Alicent tenfold. Despite her offerings to Larys and Criston in various guises over the two series so far, both went for Aemond in the Green council's choice of Regent.
Larys' play in particular is fascinating, and clearly wounds Alicent deeply. After proving himself loyal to her for many years, it feels like the balance of power has tipped will in his favour, and in his cunning, he has seen that and pounced on it. Whilst Alicent and Aegon have proven relatively easy to manipulate, I wonder to what extent the same will be said of Aemond, the new regent.
Whilst I wouldn't recommend following Larys' techniques to a tee, he's cvery good at embodying the principle of playing to the self interest of others, which is critical in negotiations and network building. People often approach negotiations, bids or proposals thinking what's in it for themselves, but the real way to win is to appeal to the self interest of the other party.
Larys is an expert at this, as well as using people whilst they are useful to him, and not for a moment longer - I don't recommend that - it'll come back to bite you.
So what did you think to the episode? Who has the upper hand in the Dance of Dragons right now? Are we seeing the beginning of the end for Alicent? And what did you learn from the episode that can apply to your own life? A reminder of my thoughts below...
Sharpen your Sword:
Exercise Strategic Patience: Let the other side in a negotiation reveal their hand first, and use calibrated questions to get them to do the intellectual legwork.
Leverage Your Network: Utilise your connections to gather intelligence and influence key areas indirectly. This can be more effective than direct confrontation or brute force.
Maintain a Strong Public Image: Ensure that you meet all your obligations and maintain a positive reputation. Being seen as a reliable and better alternative can win you support, especially in times of crisis.
Appeal to Self-Interest: In negotiations or collaborations, focus on what the other party stands to gain. By addressing their interests, you can turn potential conflicts into mutually beneficial opportunities.
Monitor Internal Loyalty: Keep a close eye on the loyalty of those within your organization. Understanding their motivations and ensuring their commitment is crucial for maintaining a unified and effective team.
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