Business Lessons from the Renaissance Master of Gaining and Maintaining Power

Generally considered the father of modern political science—and political ethics in particular—Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was a Renaissance Italian writer, philosopher, humanist, historian, politician, and diplomat. After his career in politics had ended, Machiavelli wrote a short treatise that is often considered his masterpiece but was not published until five years after his death. The Prince contains adages regarding politics, in particular, providing advice for gaining and maintaining power. While Machiavelli was writing primarily about political power, his philosophies have been adopted by business leaders and titans of industry—presidents, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and innovators—ever since. Also including excerpts from The Art of War, Discourses on Livy, and Machiavelli’s other works, Machiavelli on Business explores such ideas as:
Whether it’s better for a leader to be feared or loved
How to best keep subordinates content
The necessity of breaking promises at times
Projecting the right qualities and fostering appearances
Turning obstacles into opportunities
Taking advantage of crises
And much more!

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), best known for writing The Prince, was a Renaissance Italian writer, philosopher, humanist, historian, politician, and diplomat. Though never a full citizen, owing largely to the byzantine requirements for citizenship in the republic at the time, Machiavelli was born in Florence, spent most of his life in the city, and served as a government official dealing with its diplomatic and military issues.