(9) Recruit. A growing membership is your best indicator of a healthy organization. Success breeds success and the more people you attract, the more success you will have. A large membership, in addition to adding new taxable resources, gives you the opportunity to create sub-organizations that can help you achieve your goals. Form a recruitment arm that actively and directly contacts outsiders to attract them to your organization. But more subtle approaches should be cultivated as well. Develop charitable endeavors and seed them with recruitment personnel. A down and out prospect who receives charity from your organization is a vulnerable and promising candidate for membership. And make sure you retain those recruits you worked so hard to get, using fear and guilt if necessary to make sure they stay loyal to your cause.
(10) Lobby. Your organization does not exist in a vacuum. There are powerful forces in your environment that can help or hinder you. Identify them and actively work to make sure that they are aware of your organization and your influence. Use your resources to sway them to your cause. Your approach can be direct, such as appearing in public committee hearings to make your case, or indirect by rewarding specific outside individuals who act on your behalf in their respective organizations. Either way, do not leave the outcome to chance.
(11) Portray your critics, adversaries, and competitors in the worst possible light. They are scandalous, uninformed, misguided, dishonest, indecent, two-faced, deceitful, cynical, manipulative, and without any values at all. They have no pride, no shame, and no class. They’ve been paid off, have themselves bribed others, and are probably covering up other past crimes. Their day of reckoning is on the horizon. If they used to be in your organization, you’re glad to be rid of them no matter how high the esteem they were held in before.
(12) Defend your group. Create a security force with special markings, emblems, and privileges. Foster a warrior mentality with a “do or die” mindset. Let your warriors know that it is understood that it might be necessary to bend the rules a little bit to keep your fences strong and secure. Whether you are running a country, a warehouse, or a casino, give your security people the tools they need and then get out of the way and let them do their work.
(13) Get all your members to chip in. If you’ve lain the groundwork as described above, your people will make any sacrifice to keep your little club going. Take advantage of that sentiment by imposing dues just short of the breaking point. It takes money to keep those fences straight and true and to promote your interests. A properly motivated band of people will shoulder the load proudly.