A Cooler keeps his opinions to himself.
A Closer will say what he thinks, but only behind your back
A Cleaner will tell you straight to your face what he thinks, whether you like it or not.
a Cleaner wants to beat you when you’re at your best, not when you’re standing there without the ball. A “freeze-out” is the kind of petty bullshit you typically see from younger players who start feeling a little proud of themselves, and decide to show the chief that the tribe is taking over.
A Cooler is liked.
A Closer is respected.
A Cleaner is feared, and then respected for doing exactly what everyone feared he’d do.
A Cleaner moves silently under the surface—he makes no waves, so you never know what he’s doing. You can’t see him or hear him. You may not even know who he is. But when he’s ready for you to find out, he does it with a tsunami that comes with no warning. You have no idea what’s coming until you’ve been completely rocked, and by then it’s too late for you to do anything but be swept away.
Do you want to be the guy worrying, or the guy quietly making everyone else worry?
Fear and respect: let them know you were there by your actions, not your words or emotions. You don’t have to be loud to be the focus of attention. Think of the Godfather, world-class Cleaner and the quietest guy in the room, surrounded by everyone else waiting to see what he would do or say, and he never had to say a word to get his message across. Or the parent who just gives the kids that look; no lecture, no speeches. One look, maybe a word or two, and there’s nothing more to say. Complete control. That’s fear and respect in action.
The loudest guy in the room is the one with the most to prove, and no way to prove it. A Cleaner has no need to announce his presence; you’ll know he’s there by the way he carries himself, always cool and confident. He’s never the blowhard telling you how great he is; he’s the quiet guy focused on results, because results are all that matter. A thief doesn’t walk into a crowded store screaming, “I’m stealing!” He comes in quietly, subtly executing his plan before anyone notices. And he’s long gone by the time you notice your watch is missing.
Talk never goes up in price, it’s always free, and you usually get what you pay for.
They think talent is enough. It’s not.
Cleaners don’t make big, bragging announcements about how they topped someone else; they let their results do the talking.
Cleaner Law: the same guy who is worshipped as a cutthroat competitor is also the guy most likely to be called an asshole by everyone around him. And not just any asshole, but the asshole. I’ll tell someone he’s the biggest asshole I’ve ever known, and right away he points to another guy and says, “He’s a bigger asshole.” No, he’s not, and you didn’t get it: I was giving you a compliment. Take it as a sign that you’re doing something right, because if you’re truly focused on winning, you’re not concerned with friendship or compassion or loyalty, you’re not worried about how others will judge you. You know what people say about you, and it just drives you harder. Let them hate you; it only shows their weakness and emotion and makes you more powerful. You don’t need friends; your friends need you. You know whom you can trust . . . and they’d better never let you down.
A Closer will say what he thinks, but only behind your back
A Cleaner will tell you straight to your face what he thinks, whether you like it or not.
a Cleaner wants to beat you when you’re at your best, not when you’re standing there without the ball. A “freeze-out” is the kind of petty bullshit you typically see from younger players who start feeling a little proud of themselves, and decide to show the chief that the tribe is taking over.
A Cooler is liked.
A Closer is respected.
A Cleaner is feared, and then respected for doing exactly what everyone feared he’d do.
A Cleaner moves silently under the surface—he makes no waves, so you never know what he’s doing. You can’t see him or hear him. You may not even know who he is. But when he’s ready for you to find out, he does it with a tsunami that comes with no warning. You have no idea what’s coming until you’ve been completely rocked, and by then it’s too late for you to do anything but be swept away.
Do you want to be the guy worrying, or the guy quietly making everyone else worry?
Fear and respect: let them know you were there by your actions, not your words or emotions. You don’t have to be loud to be the focus of attention. Think of the Godfather, world-class Cleaner and the quietest guy in the room, surrounded by everyone else waiting to see what he would do or say, and he never had to say a word to get his message across. Or the parent who just gives the kids that look; no lecture, no speeches. One look, maybe a word or two, and there’s nothing more to say. Complete control. That’s fear and respect in action.
The loudest guy in the room is the one with the most to prove, and no way to prove it. A Cleaner has no need to announce his presence; you’ll know he’s there by the way he carries himself, always cool and confident. He’s never the blowhard telling you how great he is; he’s the quiet guy focused on results, because results are all that matter. A thief doesn’t walk into a crowded store screaming, “I’m stealing!” He comes in quietly, subtly executing his plan before anyone notices. And he’s long gone by the time you notice your watch is missing.
Talk never goes up in price, it’s always free, and you usually get what you pay for.
They think talent is enough. It’s not.
Cleaners don’t make big, bragging announcements about how they topped someone else; they let their results do the talking.
Cleaner Law: the same guy who is worshipped as a cutthroat competitor is also the guy most likely to be called an asshole by everyone around him. And not just any asshole, but the asshole. I’ll tell someone he’s the biggest asshole I’ve ever known, and right away he points to another guy and says, “He’s a bigger asshole.” No, he’s not, and you didn’t get it: I was giving you a compliment. Take it as a sign that you’re doing something right, because if you’re truly focused on winning, you’re not concerned with friendship or compassion or loyalty, you’re not worried about how others will judge you. You know what people say about you, and it just drives you harder. Let them hate you; it only shows their weakness and emotion and makes you more powerful. You don’t need friends; your friends need you. You know whom you can trust . . . and they’d better never let you down.
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