The Boss: Machiavelli on Managerial Leadership

In 1513, Niccolo Machiavelli, veteran ambassador of the republic of Florence, wrote a treatise titled Il Principe (usually but loosely translated as The Prince) in order to instruct political leaders on the techniques that he deemed necessary to gain and maintain power. The Prince advocated the need of the ruler to preserve and enhance his own power and that of the state by what ever means necessary. It was a ruthlessly pragmatic analysis of politics. Indeed, even the cut-throat rulers that Machiavelli knew would have been surprised by the unbounded ambition and ruthless disregard of law and ethics that characterized the Wall Street arbitrage and take-over activities in the late 1980's. Machiavelli's admired leaders were hardheaded about human weakness but remained influenced by Judeo-Christian morality. The Prince became a guidebook to power politics and made Machiavelli's name synonymous with cunning and political immortality. Much of Machiavelli's advice is directly applicable to today's fiercely competitive business world. Competition was the name of the game then and competition is the name of the game today. Today's competitive environment puts as much pressure and stress on leaders as did the endless small-scale warring of the independent states of Renaissance Italy. Machiavelli's timeless wisdom and essential advice can help today's managers to avoid failure and to achieve sustained success. In order to facilitate the application of Machiavelli's observations to today's business world, this book presents a new translation of those maxims which are applicable to business. Shrewd comments and vivid examples drawn from modern business experience enliven Machiavelli's maxims and make this highly readable book a delight for managers and employees alike.