The Gist (TLDR)

This is not your usual newsletter.

What you will receive weekly will help you see the power dynamics through the lens of the SIT framework.

By internalizing the framework, you can analyze what happens in the world and your life and, consequently, better strategize your power moves.

Keep Your Hands Clean (Law #26)

Have you ever wondered how to get rid of a micromanager making your life miserable?

Well, you’ve subscribed to the right newsletter because that’s exactly what we will analyze today.

With every letter, we’ll strategize together to help you wield the maximum power.

Remember, you are the power strategist, and I am your shadow advisor.

Let’s get into it right away

The story

Once, during my tenure as an executive at a European company, I was brought on board to improve processes and enhance operational efficiency. The company had three bosses, but in practice, only two were actively involved in day-to-day operations. As the newest hire, I quickly found myself under the scrutiny of one of them—let’s call him John.

John was a textbook micromanager: disdainful, controlling, and perpetually inserting himself into matters he didn’t fully understand. I soon learned he had no real expertise and had been "parachuted" into his position. Yet, he treated every task as if it required his personal input, constantly pestering me with demands to “change this” or “do that.” His meddling was relentless, and his lack of experience made it unbearable.

I tried to reason with him, explaining that I needed time and autonomy to implement improvements thoughtfully. But my pleas fell on deaf ears. So, I decided to outmaneuver him, subtly putting him in a position where his interference would come back to bite him.

Knowing his thirst for control, I asked him how he wanted the reporting structured and how often it should be delivered. Predictably, he insisted on an exhaustive report—every single detail, updated daily. It was an absurd demand, but I complied. The report became a behemoth of unreadable data, meticulously compiled but overwhelming to anyone trying to make sense of it.

Crucially, I ensured that his partner, another boss, received the same report. When John’s partner saw the monstrosity, he was livid. “What is this mess? Who on earth can read this?” he exploded, “Why was it done this way?” Calmly, I explained that I was simply following John’s directives. I added that I hadn’t been given enough time to refine the report and make it more actionable for management.

This move was calculated. I had noticed that John’s partner was already growing annoyed with his meddling. By letting the tension play out naturally, I positioned myself as the cooperative professional stuck following a flawed directive.

The result? John faced the wrath of his partner and never dared meddle with me again. I was finally granted the time and freedom I needed to deliver results effectively.

I kept my hands clean, used John’s own micromanagement against him, and gained the autonomy to do my job on my terms.

Interpretation of the Strategy Using the SIT Framework

The use of the elements might seem redundant, but the reason for the redundancy is that the elements work together, and no one of them works on its own, isolated from the others.

Suppression: I suppressed my urge to react emotionally to the boss. Additionally, I chose to suppress him by revealing just enough information in the right time. The timing being the moment he was on the decline.

Information: I gathered information that the boss is on the decline and that mistakes are piling up. If I prematurely revealed any information about him, probably there wasn’t going to be a highly impactful power move and it might have seemed that I don’t know how to take directives; I chose the suppress unnecessary information and reveal one grave mistake in the right time.

Time: I have taken my time to collect information and during this time I suppressed my urge to react to the very bothersome behavior from his highness that made my work painful. At the right time, I chose to suppress him by suppressing all the instances where he had done well, which were a few and all the instances where he had done wrong, which were plenty. I revealed just one instance.

The Framework Breakdown

With the SIT framework (Suppression, Information, Time) you don’t have to remember the Laws of Power or any other law preached by masters and fake gurus.

SIT is a practical, interconnected system. Breaking it into parts helps us analyze each element, but in practice, these elements work together seamlessly. You just have to internalize them.

• First element of the framework: Suppression - the first thing you think about when operating within power dynamics is what to suppress. Your urge to react? Your emotions? Information? or suppress someone?

  In my case, I suppressed my urge to react to the boss. I chose to suppress him by revealing just enough information at the right time.

• Second element of the framework: Information - the second thing you think of is to gather, reveal, or withhold information. While executing the first element “Suppression”, you have to think of gathering information about your target and reveal just enough in the right moment to achieve your goal.

  In my case, I gathered information that the boss is on the decline and that mistakes are piling up. If I revealed information about him earlier probably there wasn’t going to be a highly impactful power move and it might have seemed that I didn’t know how to take directives; I chose to suppress unnecessary information and strategically reveal one mistake at the right time.

• Third element of the framework: Time - time and timing are crucial when executing a power move. Taking your time allows you to gather information, reveal just enough of it at the right moment, and strike at an opportune moment so that you achieve the maximum benefit with minimum effort.

  In my case, I have taken my time to collect information and suppressed my urge to react to a very bothersome behavior from his highness that made my work painful. I choose to suppress him by suppressing all the instances where he has done well, which were few of them.

The Gist (TLDR)

The SIT framework liberates you from the incessant dependency on Laws that you can’t even recall. Do not think in terms of Laws, instead, think in terms of what to suppress or not suppress, what information to gather, reveal, or withhold, and the time you take to observe, plan, and then strike. That’s it. No 48 Laws. Just a framework.

In the upcoming letter, we will analyze another law from The 48 Laws of Power under the light of the SIT framework.

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