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It is, for some, hard to imagine that there are similarities between the Mafia and corporate America. After all, one is illegal and the other is not. However, there are actually some very close similarities between the two, and, according to Chase Rubin LinkedIn, the concept of someone like Al Capone running Apple, or someone like Bill Gates heading the Bonnono crime family, is not that hard to imagine.

Chase Ruben LinkedIn on Corporations and the Mafia

When we think Mafia, we think RICO, FBI probe, victims, scamming, fraud, and more. Those are not things that corporations stand for. However, there are some very clear similarities between the two as well, and they cannot be ignored. For instance, both the Mafia and corporations have very strong values, and very strong rules. And both operate on one core value: increasing profits. 70,000 customers or victims is better than none. Of course, the Mafia uses fear, intimidation, and violence to achieve what they want. But in a sense, corporations do that as well. Smaller companies are always afraid of being swallowed up by the larger ones. According to Chase Ruben LinkedIn, the main similarities between the two are:

1. Loyalty and honesty, which is what both demand from all their members or employees. But they command it in different ways.
2. Policies and procedures, which is what corporate America calls what the Mafia would call “rules”. The key difference is that policies and procedures are written.
3. Strategies come from the top. As much as corporations say they take a “bottom up” approach, the reality is that this is only possible if the top agrees to it. At the end of the day, what the CEO says, goes. And that is the same with the Mafia.
4. Association and power politics. Both the Mafia and corporations know that networking and relationships are hugely important. Those with the best connections get the furthest, in both settings.
5. Titles, which the Mafia would refer to as “ranks”. A manager is less powerful than a senior manager in corporations, which is the same in Mafia. Someone’s title or rank makes it clear how much authority someone has.

11 Key Similarities in Values

There are 11 other key things that corporate America and the Mafia share. Those are:

1. That they forgive but never forget.
2. That trust must be earned.
3. That only the powerful will eventually survive.
4. That there are games to be played, many of which are quite deceptive.
5. That the goal is on achieving objectives.
6. That delegation is vital to achieve objectives.
7. That you must give more than what you take in order for things to remain operational.
8. To remember those who have been helpful.
9. To show forgiveness, by keeping your friends close but your enemies even closer.
10. To choose your battles right.
11. To be blunt and say what matters when it matters.