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Ben Wilson

Anyone who has achieved greatness has, in part, patterned themselves after those who came before. Napoleon learned from Charlemagne, Charlemagne learned from Caesar, and Caesar learned from Alexander the Great. This podcast analyzes the lives of some of the greatest men and women to ever live. By examining their strategies, tactics, mindset, and work habits, How to Take Over the World helps you understand the great ones, so that you can follow in their footsteps.

How to Take Over the World

In this premium-only episode, we take a deeper look into the mind and philosophy of Adolf Hitler. Drawing from Mein Kampf (Parts I and II) and his unfinished second book, we examine how he saw the world and how that worldview shaped his actions.

Links:

https://takeoverpod.supercast.com/

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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The Mind of Hitler (Mein Kampf Review - Premium)

In part 2, we look at how Hitler went from building a movement to taking total power in Germany.

00:00 - How Tyrants Take Power

01:30 - Beer Hall Putsch Begins

08:00 - Hitler Sways the Crowd

12:50 - The Coup Collapses

23:30 - The Trial of the Century

38:30 - Writing Mein Kampf

44:00 - Lebensraum Vision

51:20 - The Great Reunification

58:00 - Bamberg Power Play

01:03:17 - 25 Point Program

01:08:04 - Anti-Clericalism

01:21:14 - Building For the Future

01:29:24 - Weimar System Primer

01:33:49 - Hitler Runs For President

01:36:22 - Refusing Vice Chancellor

01:43:34 - Hitler Strategy Doing Nothing

01:59:00 - Enabling Act Ends Democracy

02:05:48 - Reichstag Fire Crackdown

02:11:22 Four Lessons Wrap Up

Sources:⁠

Hitler: A Biography by Ian Kershaw⁠⁠

Hitler: Beyond Evil and Tyranny by RHS Stolfi

⁠⁠Hitler: A Global Biography by Brendan Simms

⁠⁠In His Own Words: The Essential Speeches of Adolf Hitler by CJ Miller⁠

⁠Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler (New Ford Translation)⁠

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Sponsors:⁠

The Classical Society⁠⁠

David Senra Podcast⁠⁠

Zodl (The new Zashi wallet)⁠⁠

Speechify

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Adolf Hitler (Part 2)

How did Hitler rise from being a shiftless, borderline-homeless bohemian, to creating one of the largest mass movements of the 20th century? And what can we learn about building a movement from him?

00:00 Hitler Finds His Voice03:15 Why Study Hitler06:20 Birth and Family Roots12:00 School and Artist Dreams17:00 Vienna Bound26:00 Homelessness and Hustle33:00 Steve Jobs Comparison34:30 Conversion to Antisemitism48:30 Habsburg Multicultural Backlash52:55 Munich Move and Draft Dodge01:00:00 World War 101:08:50 Gas Attack and Defeat01:16:15 Spying on German Workers Party01:24:15 Hitler Becomes Party Star01:33:45 Rhetoric Tools and Practice01:39:00 Controversy Marketing Tactics01:42:00 NSDAP Growth and Branding01:46:40 SA Formation and Power Grab01:53:15 Crisis and Coup Planning02:00:38 Beer Hall Putsch02:02:30 Closing Quotes and Next Steps-----Sources:Hitler: A Biography by Ian KershawHitler: Beyond Evil and Tyranny by RHS StolfiHitler: A Global Biography by Brendan SimmsIn His Own Words: The Essential Speeches of Adolf Hitler by CJ MillerMein Kampf by Adolf Hitler (New Ford Translation)-----Sponsors:The Classical SocietyDavid Senra PodcastZodl (The new Zashi wallet)Speechify

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Adolf Hitler (Part 1)

Stanford GSB professor Jeffrey Pfeffer breaks down his 7 rules for taking power.

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Sponsors:⁠⁠⁠

⁠David Senra Podcast⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zashi Wallet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Speechify⁠⁠

⁠The Classical Society⁠

⁠Premium Version

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Stanford's Most Controversial Professor on Why Power Is Good For You | Jeffrey Pfeffer

This episode explores the thought of Gustave Le Bon was a French researcher and writer whose seminal work, The Crowd, greatly influenced Adolf Hitler and was partially responsible for teaching him how to be a great speaker at mass rallies.

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Subscribe for the full episode: TakeoverPod.Supercast.com

Join the Classical Society: TheClassicalSociety.com

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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The Crowd Whisperer: The Psychologist Who Gave Hitler His Playbook

In this episode of How to Take Over the World, I do something a little different. Instead of breaking down one life, I share my top 10 leadership lessons drawn from every episode I released in 2025.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

02:19 Communicate Clearly at Scale

06:17 Define Your Myth

10:12 Seize Your Moment

13:28 Be Alone to Think, Collaborate to Build

16:33 Antis Inspiration

18:58 Make Extreme Decisions Quickly

24:31 Decision-Making Frameworks

28:06 Going a Little Too Far

31:20 The Power of Knowing What You Want

34:58 Being Competitively Playful

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Sponsors:⁠

David Senra Podcast

⁠⁠Zashi Wallet⁠⁠

Speechify⁠

The Classical Society

Premium Version

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Top 10 Lessons from 2025

Andrew Carnegie names his price. J.P. Morgan accepts. In a single moment, a poor Scottish immigrant becomes the richest man in the world. But that is just the beginning of Andrew Carnegie's story.

00:00 The Historic Deal: Carnegie and Morgan

02:50 Introduction to Part Two: Carnegie's Early Success

08:00 Navigating Recessions and Strategic Acquisitions

14:28 Labor Relations and Strikes

22:32 Carnegie's Reputation and Industry Dominance

30:39 Carnegie's Philanthropic Beginnings

31:45 The Sale to JP Morgan and US Steel Formation

40:54 Carnegie's Efforts for Peace and Anti-Colonialism

45:39 The Impact of World War I on Carnegie

47:33 Key Takeaways from Carnegie's Life

50:50 Conclusion

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Sponsors:⁠

David Senra Podcast

⁠⁠Zashi Wallet⁠⁠

Speechify⁠

The Classical Society

----

Sources:⁠

Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie⁠⁠

Andrew Carnegie by David Nasaw

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Andrew Carnegie (Part 2)

The rise of Andrew Carnegie from a poor Scottish weaver's boy to becoming an American millionaire.00:00 Introduction

03:00 Carnegie's Early Life and Inspirations

07:50 Coming to America

12:00 The Power of Self-Education

28:15 Becoming a Capitalist: The Adams Express Investment

36:30 Rapid Rise in the Railroad Industry

42:15 Carnegie's Role in the Civil War

50:30 Carnegie's Business Philosophy and Networking

56:15 Final Reflections and Takeaways----Sponsors:David Senra PodcastZashi WalletSpeechify----Sources:Autobiography of Andrew CarnegieAndrew Carnegie by David Nasaw

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Andrew Carnegie (Part 1)

Description

This episode explores the extraordinary life of Ernest Shackleton and the impossible challenges he faced at the edge of the world. Through his failures, decisions, and unbreakable resolve, we uncover timeless lessons on leadership under extreme pressure.

00:00 The Endurance's Final Moments02:19 Introduction to Ernest Shackleton05:32 The Nimrod Expedition and Beyond14:15 Setting Sail and Early Challenges24:27 The Endurance is Crushed35:10 Shackleton's Leadership and Shared Hardships39:01 Launching the Boats to Elephant Island47:17 Reaching Elephant Island52:47 The Treacherous Voyage to South Georgia01:05:27 Rescue and Return01:07:05 Lessons from Shackleton's Expedition
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Sponsors:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Zashi⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Z Cash⁠⁠⁠

Speechify.com/ben⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Use code Ben for 15% off Speechify premium⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Founders Podcast

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coaching⁠⁠

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Stay in touch:Twitter/X: ⁠⁠⁠@BenWilsonTweets

⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@HTTOTW⁠⁠⁠

Email me: Ben@takeoverpod.com

----Sources: 

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible VoyageSouth!: The Story of Shackleton's Last ExpeditionShackleton by Ranulph Fiennes

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Ernest Shackleton (Remastered)

The latter half of Cleopatra's life, from the death of Caesar until her own death.00:00 Cleopatra's Fall from Power04:15 Meeting Mark Antony11:00 Cleopatra and Antony's Alliance21:40 The Birth of a New Dynasty29:00 The Donations of Alexandria35:00 The Final Civil War of the Roman Republic38:00 The Battle of Actium43:00 The Aftermath of Actium and Antony's Despair47:38 The Tragic Deaths of Antony and Cleopatra56:30 Cleopatra's Legacy and Final Reflections----

Sponsors:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zashi⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Z Cash⁠⁠

GainsInBulk.com/ben⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Use code Ben for 20% off instantized creatine and more⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Speechify.com/ben⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Use code Ben for 15% off Speechify premium

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founders Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coaching⁠⁠----

Stay in touch:Twitter/X: ⁠⁠⁠@BenWilsonTweets⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@HTTOTW⁠⁠⁠

Email me: Ben@takeoverpod.com----Sources: ⁠Plutarch's Life of Marc Antony⁠⁠

Cassius Dio Volumes V and VI⁠⁠

Cleopatra: A Life

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Cleopatra (Part 2)

Julius Caesar wraps up his conquest of Gaul and is forced to make the most crucial decision of his life.
Make sure to sign up for the HTTOTW newsletter by going to httotw.com and entering your email.

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Julius Caesar (Part 3)

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