Looking around the world today, you see many people in positions of power that don't seem to be doing a whole lot for the people that they are supposed to serve. And if they don’t seem to be doing their duties, why haven’t they been replaced by someone better? Hell, to think that even you can do a better job than them if you had the chance.

This ranges on all positions of power, from the position of manager all the way to presidents. Have you ever wondered why that was?

Turns out, ruling is a much more complex task that hinges on a lot of factors. For this moment I’ll focus on the rulings of nations to give you a better picture.

Throughout history, you can see many rulers in powerful political positions, yet all they seem to do are selfish, short-sighted actions, turning a blind eye to those they are supposed to serve. Are these people evil, stupid and unsympathetic? Or is there another reason why they acted that way?

It’s hard to achieve a position of power, but it’s even harder to stay in it. This is due to the fundamental fact that;

No man rules alone

No matter how much power you have, you cannot do everything you envisioned all by yourself, you have to rely on other people, and you have to make sure that the person you rely on stays reliable.

The power of a king is not to act, but to get others to act on his behalf using the treasure in his vaults

The throne looks all-powerful and unchanging from afar, but if you take a closer look, you see that it’s actually built on very brittle foundations that are held up by the throne’s subordinates, the people who actually run the country.

A king needs an army and someone to command it, treasure and someone to collect it, law and someone to enforce it

These people are what are called the King’s Key to Powers. Without their support, the king cannot act, cannot stay in power, and will quickly be replaced. Like I said, the throne has brittle foundations, and the Keys decide who sits upon it.

All over the world, the rules of power stays the same

• Get the Key Supporter on you side

If the Keys are on your side and willing to carry out your orders, you have their support, remember, to them you are replaceable, but without them, you are nothing. So make sure to keep them happy.

• Control the Treasure 

This is your main task as a ruler, deciding what your treasure will be invested in. A kind ruler will always want the majority of the treasure spent on bettering the lives of their citizens, but remember, the treasure is limited, and the more you spend on the citizens, the less you can give to your Keys. and if the Keys don’t get their share of the treasure, then the less they will support you, and eventually you will be replaced by someone that WILL give them more rewards.

Every coin spent on your citizens is a coin not spent on loyalty

The throne is a much desired position, one many would like to have. So even if you sit on it right now, your rivals circle around like vultures, waiting for a chance to sway your Keys with promises of more share in the treasure, if only they overthrow you.

Angels that build good works will lose to Devils that don’t

That brings us to the last rule,

• Minimize Key Supporters

The more Keys you have to please, the harder it is to keep them pleased. More keys means more conflicts of interest, less treasure you can spend on each of them, and more likely that a rival can sway them.

The more Key supporters a ruler has, the shorter their reign becomes.

This is why it’s important to minimize the amount of Keys you have, make sure you have as much control and loyalty as possible. If a Key becomes unnecessary , you HAVE to cut them out.

These rules apply to EVERY position of power. This is why good, benevolent rules only rule for a moment, while violent and greedy dictators can seem to rule forever.

With this knowledge, you can begin to see the reasoning behind the Rulers decision, and while you don’t have to agree with them, you only need to understand them.

So, in a position of power, make the choice. Will you serve the citizens you promised, only to be quickly replaced? Or look the other way, and stay in power longer by keeping the Keys loyal, but doing the bare minimum for your people?

My writing is inspired by CGP Grey’s “The Rule for Rulers”