JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon Is Not Being Nice - Power in 2025

Want to make it big?

The New York Times features how author Janet Malcolm pulled that off by not being nice. That signals what a power source not being nice is. 

Clearly, in a recent public appearance JP Morgan head Jamie Dimon wasn't nice about the firm's RTO mandate. He reinforced that with rough-edged rhetoric. Ditch the stereotypical branding of the statesman leader. 

 And the player previously known for his charm Paul Weiss chair Brad Karp wasn't nice about raiding competitor Kirkland & Ellis' star talent in London. The emerging persona is warrior.

Of course, the current domestic "strong men," as well as the global ones, are not at all nice.

The power of not being nice isn't new. For instance, in "The Power Game" journalist Hedrick Smith explains how things can get done by being an obstructionist, that is porcupine power. You make it your MO to stand in the way. The way to negotiate with that strategic positioning is direct. You ask the porcupines what they want. Be cute and dance around and be ready for a porcupine quill.

The current menu of not-being-nice tactics includes the snub. You don't respond to communications. You leave names out of the praise list. You withhold the invitation to the special event. Leveraging that power enhances your branding as not being anyone to mess with.

Yet, this tool isn't gender-neutral. Malcolm got away with it. Read Reddit Big Law and Fishbowl Big Law and it's obvious female partners are pulling it off. However, in general, those not being nice to often feel confident mobilizing against a women in both public and stealth ways. In contrast, they might not take on a man who is perceived as a bully.

Many of us boomer females remain overly polite, losing out on establishing a position of strength through not being nice. A red flag about that is failing to be direct in talk. 

In itself that linguistic shift to saying exactly what we mean, as had Dimon, could begin to create a force field. People could get it that to enter it they have to treat us with deep respect. An entrepreneur could make a bundle hawking tee shirts for females with the meme: Don't ask me for a favor.

Recently I didn't respond to a text from a minster whose center I had exited a few years ago. I sensed she was not treating me as well as she had been the wealthy members. 

The text had no warm lead-in about how I was doing. Instead, it instructed that I reply because she had to ask me for a favor. Smirk. So high-handed. 

What a jump in confidence I experienced when 1) I didn't text back and 2) I blocked. Since I have become an expert on gossip dynamics - here is my grapevine article published in O'Dwyer Public Relations - I have a hunch that the snub was naively discussed by the minister, damaging her brand and that I have acquired new respect in the community.

In coaching I tutor older generations on unlearning nice. 

As an intuitive career coach/tarot reader I uncover the opportunities/obstacles in your earning power that others miss. Free confidential consultation. If we work together, fees are custom-made for your budget. For an appointment: contact Jane Genova (text/phone 203-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com). In-person and remote.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kirkland & Ellis Reported to Be Building Moat Around Firm to Deter Poaching of Stars

  "Kirkland gives partners more than half their pay after the end of the year in which they earn it. For partners who depart to other firms, the new policy gives the firm discretion to withhold that pay, according to a person familiar with the change."   Bloomberg Law , July 18, 2024 Scrapper Kirkland & Ellis is no slouch when it comes to protecting its business - known as the most successful law firm in the world.  Paul Weiss  certainly got in the way by launching not one but two high-profile raids on its London office stars. Gone were brandnames ranging from Neel Sachdev to Roger Johnson. In addition, Latham poached Matthew Cohn. If there is such a policy, as reported, then Kirkland & Ellis has created what could be an effective deterrent for both partners' leaving and potential poachers' approaching the star lawyers. And it all comes downs to money - big money: That is, both what partners would leave behind which they have already earned and how much ...
Read more

Akin Gump Julia Ghahramani's March 2021 Cocaine+ Death - So?

   It had been way back more than a year ago that first-year associate at law firm Akin Gump Julia Ghahramani died from cocaine laced with fentanyl. Yet that story keeps resurfacing.  This week  RollonFriday  revisits it. And  Reddit Big Law  considers the issue if the energy from cocaine is what's making possible those 2,500 hours billed in law firms.  Is what's keeping this on the radar the hunch that use of the illegal substance cocaine is common among those practicing law? After all, in addition to being an energy-booster, it provides a nice reward for such hard-working lawyers. Also, they have the earnings to afford it. Most of the rest of gunners have to stick with boozing. So, why not?  The reality might be setting in that the death could simply have been an aberration. Think about it this way: Ghahramani had bad luck in her alleged choice of dealers. Others might be able to exert more scrutiny in overseeing the content of the il...
Read more

Poaching in Law Firm Sector Potentially Catastrophic When Clients Exit with Partners

" ...  when clients refuse to follow partners out of the firm ..." - Brad Karp, chair of Paul, Weiss, cites how that can mitigate the risks, ranging from branding to business development, associated with the massive poaching of law-firm stars. This observation by Karp is extracted from the panel's comments at the International Bar Association, May 15, 2024 and published in Law.com .  The panel of leaders focused on internal law-firm strategies to reduce partner flight. Essentially their consensus was this solution: creating a partner culture of belonging, purpose and equality. About the latter, too many junior partners have an identity of being very senior associates.  However, come on, stars come and stars go. Soon enough law firms with war chests/powerhouse brandnames have the financial resources and the prestige to replace them. And the business goes on. Kirkland & Ellis is still doing well after James Sprayregen left for financial services holding firm Hilco Glob...
Read more