Krish Parikh Week 11 - Power Through Silence
For my Person of American Significance research project, I am studying the life and work of John Davison Rockefeller, best known as the founder and director of the Standard Oil trust and the Rockefeller Foundation. Despite giving away more than half his wealth, at his peak, Mr. Rockefeller controlled two percent of all American gross domestic product in the 20th century, and he was undoubtedly one of the most powerful individuals in United States history.
However, what I find interesting about Rockefeller for this quarter’s blog post is not his use of language, but rather his lack thereof.
John D. Rockefeller grew up as a devout Northern Baptist—a Christian religion which spread rapidly across the United States in the late 19th century. The Northern Baptists prized discipline in religion and life while shunning expressive displays of emotion and ego, and this mindset rubbed off on young Rockefeller. As Chernow writes in his biography of Mr. Rockefeller, Titan, “Rockefeller equated silence with strength … Two of his most cherished maxims were ‘Success comes from keeping the ears open and the mouth closed’ and ‘A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds.’”
During his adult career, John D. Rockefeller was famous for his silence in leadership and argument. He would sit in on company meetings with his eyes closed and mouth shut for nearly the entire duration, speaking only at the end with deliberate words that would move the room. When Standard Oil competitors berated and threatened Rockefeller during his quest to consolidate the Oil Industry, he would appear unphased by their show of emotion and respond coolly, throwing his opponents off stride.
As modern historians look back on the factors which contributed to Standard Oil’s overwhelming success, a central key they point at is Mr. Rockefeller’s reservation. As John D. Rockefeller exemplifies, in a world like today where tongues run loose to the point of information overload, a break from the crowd to deliberately restrain one’s language can beget unstoppable power.
Hi Krish,
ReplyDeleteWhen reading your inclusion about his two famous maxims, I considered his role in society. Rockefeller was shrewd, powerful, and at his core, a reputable leader. If he wanted to maintain his place at the top, wouldn't he want his subordinates complying without question (hence, appropriating the concept of success to "listening" and not "speaking"?)
That being said, even I find his philosophies intriguing in everyday use as well. More is not always better; similarly, to be a character of few, significant words is much more useful than one with a plethora of meaningless ones. I look forward to seeing your POAS presentation!
Sincerely,
Sean Wang
I think what really gives someone an overwhelming presence is listening—drawing in on every detail and paying attention to what someone else says. In that case, silence has profound power. I would totally invoke an example, but I have a sense of public decency and will refrain from fangirling. Instead, I will talk about my POAS, Ronald Reagan. Now that I have turned in my Research Paper and am in the process of erasing the trauma from my mind, I can talk about the subject in peace. Ronald Reagan’s title, The Great Communicator, seems to contradict the concept of silence is power, but this may not be the case. Everything that he has gained stems from his way of words, but more specifically, the straightforward communication of common sense. By cutting out the descriptors, the nuance, and the “intelligence” from his language, he garners popular support. So my takeaway is efficiency rather than a rule of thumb.
ReplyDeleteHey Krish, I agree, there is an immense amount of power in restraint. Occasionally I'll overhear a conversation and someone will just go on and on with incorrect information, but trying to correct them could just result in more problems. I wonder if there was a pattern in certain situations in which Rockefeller decided to stay silent, or if he just wasn't really a man of many words. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Krish,
ReplyDeleteIn a world where powerful people have bold authority and control, it is refreshing to learn about Rockefeller's silence in leadership. You mentioned that this was a major factor of Rockefeller's success in the oil industry, because restraining one's language can generate great power. I find this particularly interesting because at first, it was hard for me to find the correlation between his silence and the success it brought him. I'm sure many other factors play into that, and I'm excited to hear more about it during your POAS presentation.
Hi Krish,
ReplyDeleteRockefeller was a very powerful man in US history and accomplished a lot. It is interesting to find out that his power came from his silence and restraint. While it may seem advantageous to provide more information, choosing the information that is provided deliberately is very important. His two maxims are very inspirational, can I know where you found those?
Sincerely,
Raymond Yu
Hi Krish,
ReplyDeleteFrom my own perspective, it seems as if Rockefeller might have been sleeping through his company meeting if his eyes were closed and did not contribute to the conversation. But with his few words at the end he might have been contemplating what to say the whole time. He might have been so well respected that if he made something up right on the spot, people passed it off as genius. I'm sure that this isn't the case, but it is funny to think about it. I also think that sometimes taking the time to think more and say less can be valuable. I learned today about "golden silence" which is when a speaker takes a moment to think in order to properly say what they have on their mind rather than filling the void with filler words.
Hi Krish,
ReplyDeleteIt was quite resourceful of you to use your current predicament of POAS to fuel your blog post. I have learned quite a lot about Rockefeller and his business, but I never learned much about him as a person. I would have assumed that he would be talkative and wordy as most successful businessmen are. After all, men like Steve Jobs are best known for not just their innovative ideas, but their ability to sell the idea to others. It shocked me to hear that one of the most infamous businessmen in the world chose to be few with his words.
Yi-Kuan Cheng
Hi Krish,
ReplyDeleteI actually did not know that John D Rockefeller was a quite man. Its interesting how you would just give no response to basically anything anyone asks, and also at meeting you just say a single phrase and leave the room. It's kind of like a mic drop - you say something very deep at the end, and then you drop the mic. This is an interesting way to use power - the power of no language.
Sincerely,
Vivan Waghela
Hey Krish!
ReplyDeleteI like that you chose to write about your POAS, I think it shows how much you have gained from the assignment. I had no clue Rockefeller was a quiet man. I think the take that someone so timid could herald so much change and be such a huge figure. Rockefeller revolutionized the oil industry and became a huge monopoly. It seems crazy to me that someone with so much power was withdrawn in his temperament. I have always believed in leading with my voice because I am very extroverted. I think it is really cool that there are other ways to lead.