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Sicilian Mafia - The Sicilian Mafia, referred to by members as Cosa Nostra ("our thing"), is an organized crime enterprise originally from Sicily, Italy.

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Mafia - The Sicilian Mafia dates back to the 19th century, making it one of the oldest and most powerful crime organizations in the world.

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Mafia as a business - Now, imagine a business operating for around two centuries, facing extremely tough competition (other crime organizations), with numerous enemies (law enforcement), and with minimum information leaks. Morality aside, they must be doing something right.

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Mafia code - In 2007, the Italian police discovered a code of behavior for Mafia members following the arrest of Sicilian Mafia boss, Salvatore Lo Piccolo.

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The ten commandments - The document, colloquially called the Mafia's 10 commandments, is essentially a guide on how to be a good mafioso, and it gives valuable insight on how the organization operates.

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1. You must be introduced - The first rule of the code says "No-one can present himself directly to another of our friends. There must be a third person to do it."

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1. Networking - This shows how important networking is. It's all about the people you know and who they'll introduce you to.

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2. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife -

The second commandment says: "Never look at the wives of friends."

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2. Build your own brand - While you should be aware of what your competitors are doing, you should focus on building your own brand. It doesn't matter how great a deal they've got, you'll need to find a way to get a great deal yourself.

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3. Police - Cosa Nostra's third rule is "never be seen with cops."

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3. Don't get too involved with competitors - Avoid having too close of a relationship with your competitors. Information will potentially be leaked, rumors will be spread, and people will stop trusting you.

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4. Hanging out in the wrong places -

Rule four says: "Don't go to pubs and clubs."

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4. Don't put your business in a vulnerable position -

Take precautions not to jeopardize your business because you had one too many and did something stupid.

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5. You're always on call - The fifth commandment is "always being available for Cosa Nostra is a duty - even if your wife's about to give birth."

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5. Priorities - Taken literally this would mean that you'd have no work-life balance. But the lesson to be learned here is one about loyalty, dedication, and prioritization. Sometimes you need to sacrifice some things in life for the sake of a better future.

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6. Respect authority - Rule six says: "Appointments must absolutely be respected."

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6. Hierarchies - Appointments should be respected, even if some people feel that the person is unqualified. Corporate hierarchies are important and should be respected.

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7. Respect your wife and the wives of others - The seventh commandment goes as follows: "Wives must be treated with respect."

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7. Respect -

Respect is an important core value in both business and personal lives. 

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8. Honesty - Rule number eight says, "when asked for any information, the answer must be the truth."

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8. Always tell the truth - Honesty is the best policy, and you should be accountable, transparent, and honest when conducting business. Sometimes the truth has consequences, so you must be prepared to face them.

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9. Money - The ninth commandment says: "Money cannot be appropriated if it belongs to others or to other families."

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9. Professional ethics - This is essentially about business ethics. You should respect your competitors and fairness in business.

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10. Who can't be part of Cosa Nostra - The tenth commandment is a list that specifies those who cannot be part of the Mafia.

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10. Who can't be part of the mafia: liability - "Anyone who has a close relative in the police"

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10. Who can't be part of the mafia: cheating - "Anyone with a two-timing relative in the family."

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10. Who can't be part of the mafia: moral values - "Anyone who behaves badly and doesn't hold to moral values"

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10. Vetting good candidates - These are all about vetting and selecting the right candidate for the job. Any red flags should be taken into account when hiring new talent.

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10. Core values -

Mafia's 10 commandments are not much different from many businesses' core values, including loyalty, respect, and honesty.

See also: The most ingenious criminal masterminds in history

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