The secret of successful managing is to keep the five guys who hate you away from the four guys who haven't made up their minds.

Stengel’s line treats leadership as coalition management under constant scrutiny. In any clubhouse (or workplace), a manager rarely enjoys unanimous support: a small bloc will oppose him on principle, while a larger middle remains persuadable. The practical “secret” is not converting the committed critics—often a waste of energy—but preventing their negativity from influencing the undecided majority. The quote also captures Stengel’s comic, hard-earned realism about morale and politics: success depends as much on controlling narratives, access, and interpersonal friction as on tactics. It’s a cynical but recognizable account of how authority is maintained in group settings.