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Hey there, fellow Potterheads! Today, we’re diving deep into the enchanting yet complex world of Albus Dumbledore. While he’s often seen as the wise and benevolent leader of the wizarding world, there’s a darker side to his journey that can teach us some serious lessons about success. From the choices he made to the burden of his secrets, Dumbledore’s story is filled with rich insights that resonate with anyone striving for achievement. So, let’s take a closer look at the lessons we can learn from the enigmatic life of one of literature’s most beloved characters.
Why Dark?
I have read way too many Dumbledore Bashing fanfictions for me to look at the man as the grandfatherly mentor and hero the books make him out to be. Don’t get me wrong, in canon, he surely meant well. But we all know that the path to hell is paved with good intentions. That being said, I added the ‘dark’ because the following list lookslooks very critical ofof what we can learn about success from him.
1. Always know more than you tell
Dumbledore is a master at keeping information from people. Did he tell the British that their Dark Lord was Tom Marvolo Riddle? No. Did he tell Harry or any expert on soul magic about the Horcrux lodged in his head? Of course not, why ever would he? Did he tell the Aurors that the Chamber of Secrets was opened and students were petrified? No, let’s just gro mandrakes instead of buying them, duh.
Honestly, the amount of information that men kept for themselves was a big part of many of the problems we see during the Harry Potter series. Admittedly, it also helped him to be one step ahead of everyone. And it kept people from (rightfully) blaming him for his shortcomings.
2. Delegate
Ever noticed how Dumbledore acts very much like a general delegating his soldiers? He has his Order of the Phoenix patrolling the ministry and stopping Death Eater raids. Remus Lupin is trying to infiltrate the werewolves for him and Hagrid, the giants. Snape spies on Voldemort for him, and McGonnagal keeps the school running. And yet, Dumbledore himself is the biggest powerhouse the Light side has in its war against Voldemort. But does he take any actual action at the front line? Besides that one Ministry duel with Voldemort, he didn’t. The same behavior could be seen during the war against Grindelwald. Sure, in the beginning,, he couldn’t act against him because of the blood pact. But even once that was resolved, he only popped in for this one battle and otherwise let Scamander brothers and their allies run around for him.
Delegation is a powerful tool for success because it frees up your time to do the things you are truly good at while others do what you could at an equal or lesser level. A darker aspect of delegation is that it allows you to hide behind the frontrunners and shirk responsibility more easily. If something fails, well, clearly that person messed it up, you would have done it better, obviously!
3. Know people’s motivations and use it to your advantage
Dumbledore is a collector of information, like any truly cunning person. He keeps dangling Lily and the oath he took in front of Snape when he is reluctant to follow orders.
He brought Harry along as Bate to recruit Slughorn, who likes to collect the rich, famous, and talented.
He sent a one-sentence letter that managed to keep Petunia in line before she could toss out Harry.
Knowing the desires, values, and motivations of the people you deal with can be crucial on your way to success. It can help you open doors that would otherwise remain closed. You don’t have to threaten anyone; most of the time, freely offering up what they want is more than enough.
4. Kill them with kindness
Dumbledore has cultivated a grandfatherly persona. He always smiles and twinkles at people and treats them like they areclose acquaintances (‘Harry, my boy’). This sort of behavior has gotten him far.
It is far harder to discredit a soft-spoken violence abhorring person than someone who complains, insults, and fights people left, right, and center.
It has also been one of my go-to methods when dealing with rude people. Just be so sugary sweet to them that they’ll get cavities. If they are not entirely rotten inside, they might even feel guilty about their behavior afterward. And nobody can claim you did something wrong. Great, right?
5. Give to get – collect favors
Dumbledore is an expert at collecting favors. He gives very strategically so that people owe him later on. For example, he lets the poor werewolf boy that grew up ostracized from society attend the famous Hogwarts and help him hide his secret. Later on, that werewolf was so grateful he risked his life to spy on the werewolf’s packs.
Dumbledore gave Sirius Black, despite his dark family history, a place among the light side and let him fight in the Order of the Phoenix. And Sirius, ever so grateful to be able to set himself apart from his rotten family, risks his life during the war and lets Dumbledore use Grimauld Place as headquarters.
Dumbledore vouched for Snape and spared him from going to Azkaban. Grateful for the chance to save Lily/honor her memory, and stay out of prison, he takes up a job he despises, risks his life going back to his former master, and proceeds to play double against during the second war.
The Weasleys were ever so grateful to be part of something important despite their poverty that they decided to be his soldiers in the war.
And Hagrid, who’d gotten expelled and his wand snapped and wouldn’t have amounted to much in British wizarding society as a half-giant, was extremely Grateful to be allowed to stay as groundskeeper of Hogwarts. As a thank you, he sings Dumbledore’s praises far and wide and risks his life to try and convince the giants to join the Light side during the war.
You should always consider how you can provide value for the people around you. A lot of the time, this can be as simple as introducing them to someone who is on their wavelength. Think of times in the past when you have helped someone out and might have gained some goodwill in their eyes.
6. Pursue powerful, yet not obviously so, positions
Dumbledore could have easily become Minister of Magical Britain after defeating Grindlewald. However, he denied the position and contended himself with the Headmaster position. Later on, he became Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the ICW.
All three are powerful positions, yet not traditionally so. The political positions are more of a representative and mediating function. He doesn’t get to make major decisions for himself. And the headmaster position, while an accomplishment in itself, is not considered a truly powerful position by most people. When, in actuality, it is the most powerful of them all.
The headmaster gets to shape the future of Wizarding Britain directly, seeing as almost all of the future power players of society go through the Halls of Hogwarts. It also allows him to keep those other representative positions at the same time, as they are not too time-consuming. Those offices allow him to stay extremely well connected to all the most powerful people. He gets to whisper in ears and direct a lot of political proceedings from the background, without most people being able to pinpoint his
7. Sow discontent with a ‘We Against Them’ attitude
Dumbledore is, in part, manufacturing this entire Light VS Dark attitude of the British Wizarding World. He doesn’t undermine the bullying that happens. In fact, looking at the Marauders era, there was nothing done against the sexual assault of Snape, and when Snape almost got ‘pranked’ into being eaten by a werewolf, Sirius didn’t face suspension or the like. Instead Snape was forced into swearing an oath to not tell people about Remus’ furry problem. And just think of the end of Harry’s first year, when Dumbledore rigged the point score at the last minute to let the Griffendors win.
This clear favoritism creates a we against them attitude. This sort of mindset makes people rally behind you and feel connected by a shared enemy.
You can utilize this as well (less darkly, of course). What are some problems in life that you have faced? Struggling with acne, weight loss, getting pregnant, or getting divorced? This enemy of yours is also the enemy of millions of other people. Speak out against the problem and share your goals to let them rally behind you. That’s how a following is born!
8. Let them underestimate you
Dumbledore subtly encourages people to see him as a bumbling fool with a few screws loose and horrible sense of style (‘Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!’ – I think those were the names of the house elves that were supposed to start the welcoming feast, what do you think?). This first impression of him helps him to be underestimated and, therefore, be under less scrutiny.
He can afford to be underestimated to this extent because he has already established himself as an important person. Now that he is in this position, he strives to make himself as unsuspicious as can be.
There were only two times we truly got to see his unfiltered power: When Harry fell out of the sky with Dementors hot on his tail and during the duel against Voldemort in the Ministry of Magic.
Allow yourself to be underestimated as well. Don’t fashion yourself as a fool, but don’t give people a glimpse at your true strength when it isn’t necessary. Don’t correct their assumptions with words; let your actions speak louder.
9. Have connections everywhere
As mentioned above, Dumbledore’s many public offices give him the ultimate tool for making connections especially to the rich and powerful.
Networking doesn’t have to be artificial during parties that are specifically created for that cause. Instead, the best networking happens naturally as your job or life crosses the path of another.
So keep an eye out for opportunities to make new connections. It can be as simple as going to the gym and asking someone for help or at least not wearing your headphones all of the time. Just make an effort and see where it takes you.
And there you have it! Dumbledore’s story is a fascinating blend of triumph and struggle, reminding us that success isn’t always as straightforward as it seems. As we navigate our own paths, let’s remember to reflect on our choices, learn from our mistakes, and embrace the complexity of our journeys. Whether you’re a wizard or a muggle, the lessons from Dumbledore’s life are universal. Thanks for joining me on this magical ride. Until next time, keep your wands ready and your hearts open!
