Consiglieri | FRAGMENTEN UIT HET SCHEMERLAND

In business, the entrepreneur or CEO at the top needs a unique set of skills to do their job perfectly. In my experience, what makes a leader great comes down to three things: having an inspiring vision for the future that others can relate to; knowing how to find the right people for the roles needed to achieve this vision and coaching them in that direction; and maintaining a relentless focus on what clients want and need, while executing the business to deliver it.

At Alex van Groningen, I learned from two very effective leaders – Alex and Melle – how this is done. During my own brief period as a manager, I discovered I’m a different type of leader. Not the centerpiece, but more of a behind-the-scenes guy: strategy, advice, and flawless execution of my own role.

In the leader’s seat, you must be very good at conflict resolution. I am not good at that. Silvio Dante, Tony Soprano’s number two (who spoke the quote above), noticed how difficult this is when he briefly took the top spot while Tony was incapacitated.

I can relate. I’m not good at dealing with unhappy people, nor does it energize me to constantly engage with others about their work and inspire them to do better. I much prefer to focus on my own job and deliver the best possible performance I can. In other words, I’m better at being number two. And I relate more to the consiglieri characters in movies.

Their bosses were often the big egos – think Michael Corleone, John Gotti, or Tony Soprano. They accomplished a lot, that’s for sure. But more than once, their number twos did things they couldn’t. A good number two understands the strategy like no other and often has an even better sense of the risks that might disrupt the strategic agenda. Like Tom Reagan in Miller’s Crossing realized that Leo shouldn’t protect Bernie Bernbaum because it would hurt their business.

Also, the consiglieri aren’t afraid to take decisive action when needed. Like when Silvio Dante whacked Burt Gervasi on his own initiative after discovering Burt was talking to their enemies in New York. In short, I relate more to number twos than to the boss in the top seat.

What about you – are you a top leader or more like a number two like me?

To give you a better sense of what makes a good second-in-command, here’s my Top 5 Consiglieri in Movies:

5. Genco Abbandando, The Godfather Part II

Genco Abbandando is a significant character in ‘The Godfather’ novel, though he hardly appears in the movies. In The Godfather Part II, he appears only in Vito’s 1920s flashback storyline, portrayed by Frank Sivero as a young man. Genco is shown as Vito’s childhood friend and ally in New York’s Little Italy, working at his father’s grocery store. Their early friendship is depicted, but he doesn’t actively advise Vito on-screen. Still, since he’s described as a legendary consigliere in the novel, I include him here.

4. Joe Armone, Gotti

In the movie Gotti, a realistic portrayal of John Gotti’s rise within the Gambino Family, Dominic Chianese (Uncle Junior in The Sopranos and Johnny Ola in The Godfather Part II) plays Joe Armone – consigliere first to Carlo Gambino and then to Paul Castellano, who was allowed to retire and start a coffee shop. There, he still gave advice free of charge. Gotti comes to see him, and Joe tells him the difficult truth: John broke the rules by whacking a boss without the commission’s approval. And now he’s breaking the oldest rule of Cosa Nostra: he’s appearing in the media. A mob boss doesn’t belong on the cover of Time Magazine, capeesh? But John Gotti, you know: you can’t tell him anything. He won’t listen to Joe’s sound advice and ends up in jail for life.

3. Tom Hagen, The Godfather

Tom Hagen served no fewer than three Corleones as consigliere: first Vito, then Sonny, and finally Michael. What makes him so effective is his supreme knowledge of law and business, which enables him to advise the Don on a wide range of affairs. The reason I rank him below numbers 1 and 2 is that Tom isn’t a very good wartime consigliere. He didn’t see through Barzini’s manipulations and the trap that eventually got Sonny killed. Still, he’s a very good guy to have in your corner.

2. Tom Reagan, Miller’s Crossing

While writing this blog, this is the first time I noticed his name rhymes with Tom Hagen. Funny, because Miller’s Crossing also starts with a Godfather-esque scene in the big boss’s office with his counselor Tom close behind him – very similar to the opening of the first Godfather film. So why is Tom Reagan a good consigliere despite acting against his boss’s will? Because of his wits, his sharp strategic mind, and his ability to see three steps ahead on the chessboard. It’s Tom who ultimately wins the gang war for his boss Leo. What more proof do you need of his skills?

1. Silvio Dante, The Sopranos

Yes, Silvio Dante is the ultimate consigliere. Extremely loyal and devoted to the Family. In The Sopranos, he constantly works on the guys, squashing dissent among the ranks and ensuring that Tony’s decisions are followed through to a T. He’s also not afraid to get his hands dirty when needed – like personally taking care of a number of rats for the crew (Jimmie Altieri and Adriana). In the final episode, when he’s in a coma, even the cold Tony seems to realize how good a friend and loyal associate Silvio has been.

A dilemma in business is usually a choice that one must make between two outcomes that are both undesirable. For a great example, look no further than The Godfather, in which family patriarch Don Vito Corleone has to decide whether or not to enter the drug trade. As a reminder of this deal – that sets The Godfather’s whole plot in motion – read Tom Hagen’s notes here below:

“Sollozzo is known as the Turk. He’s supposed to be good with a knife, but only in matters of business with some sort of reasonable complaint. His business is narcotics. He has fields in Turkey where they grow poppy. In Sicily he has the plants to process them into heroin. Now, he needs cash, he needs protection from the police for which he gives a piece of the action. I couldn’t figure out how much. The Tattaglia family is behind him here in New York. They have to be in it for something. He is known as a top narcotics man.”

The Consiglieri Question: What would you advise Don Vito about the Turk’s proposal?

Now this is much more tricky as it may seem at first glance. Don Corleone is very well connected, but his current rackets (gambling, unions) are easily overlooked by corrupt police officers and politicians. Drugs: different story. So, entering this trade would create a major problem for the Don in maintaining his valuable business relationships which he also considers as dear personal friendships. On the other hand, the attractiveness of narcotics, moneywise, is way too big for the Mafia to resist. The Don’s major competitors will surely get involved with Sollozzo, and if the Corleones won’t play ball it might lead to serious conflict. Maybe even war. And off course, this is exactly what comes to pass.

The Don’s consigliere Tom Hagen seems to focus mostly on the second consideration. This is his advice to Don Vito: “Well I say yes. There’s more money potential in narcotics than anything else we’re looking at. Now if we don’t get into it, somebody else will. Maybe one of the five families, maybe all of them. Now with the money they earn, they can buy more police and political power. Then they come after us. Now, we have the unions and gambling, and they’re the best things to have, but narcotics is a thing of the future. If we don’t get a piece of that action, we risk everything we have. Not now, but ten years from now.”

Is Hagen right? Is it the smart play to help the Turk? If you consider the shitstorm the Corleone Family ended up in after Don Vito turned him down (“I must say ‘no’ to you, and I’ll give you my reasons”) you would probably say yes. Definitely yes. But maybe Vito’s answer wasn’t so wrong after all. You see, every business starts with the core principles of the founder(s). Vito started out by helping the community he lives in. Off course, he also used despicable violence against those who opposed him, but he didn’t believe in squeezing out poor people like the old Mustache Pete’s were doing in New York. Similarly, he thinks drugs will bring destruction to the communities they live and operate in. He knows very well that saying no to Sollozzo might lead to repercussions. But rather than going against his principles, he turns him down anyway.

And this a valuable lesson for any business leader dealing with a major dilemma. If one of the options goes against your core values and the other doesn’t, then you know what decision you have to make. Even if it means, you will have to deal with major negative consequences, at least you will have stayed true to your core principles. And in the end, this always lasts longer.