--> “The Prince” by Niccolo Machiavelli is a historic work dedicated to Lorenzo de’ Medici, the former ruler of Florence. It was written in 1513 Florence, Italy, but published only in 1532. This work is a kind of textbook for those who want to maintain power and gain control. “The Prince” includes theoretical interpretation of the role of a ruler and gives practical advice on how to keep power and maintain strict control. At the beginning of the 21st century, recommendations and pieces of advice given 5 centuries ago are still of vital importance, because the qualities of a leader are universal and cannot be influenced by the regime, freedom of rights or political situation.
--> In his book, Machiavelli states that the main criterion for the Prince is to be an outstanding personality. Present-day leadership is based on a function of personality. It is also viewed in terms of the role of the leaders and their ability to achieve effective performance from others. Leadership may also be based on the personal qualities, or charisma, of the leader and the manner in which authority is exercised. This view of leadership gives rise to the question of ‘born’ or ‘natural’ leaders. In reality, no one is born as a perfect leader. A person can have an inclination to lead others, but naturally, leadership skills are developed through life experience and training.
--> On the other hand, leadership is also focused on the role of the leader in terms of the relationship with followers and the adoption of a particular style of leadership. Machiavelli shares the same opinion supposing that not all princes are leaders: “like all other things of nature that are born and grow fast, cannot have their roots and connections, so that the first adverse circumstances extinguish them” In “The Prince” Machiavelli describes that successful leadership is when influence brings about behavior and results that were intended by the leader. In contrast, there come princes who cannot command “because they do not have forces that might be friendly and faithful to them”. This example shows that leadership is more than just adherence to a formal role prescription. It is more than eliciting mechanical behavior which results from a superior-subordinate relationship in a hierarchical structure. Effective leadership means successful functional behavior and the achievement of group goals.
--> Today, a leader may be imposed, formally appointed or elected, chosen informally, or emerge naturally through the demands of the situation or the wishes of the group. This was impossible five centuries ago, but there were some leaders who had been chosen informally. Nevertheless, the statement that leadership may also be exercised through greater knowledge or expertise reflects the qualities of a contemporary world leader. This argument is the most important one, which underlines the importance of the book in general. It means that a leader should have substantial knowledge to be able to resolve difficult tasks. Good leaders must be able to cope with complex changes. Machiavelli describes this using the example of hate: “As Princes cannot escape being hated by some, they should, in the first place, endeavor not to be hated by a class; failing in which, they must do all they can to escape the hatred of that class which is stronger”.
--> Another discrepancy that cannot be applied to contemporary leaders in the processes of gaining power. Machiavelli analyzes the advantages and threats of power and advises the Prince to be watchful about possible threats to threaten his power and the reins of government. This statement can be partially applied to a contemporary leader. “Nothing so many honors a man newly come to power as the new laws and new ordinances he brings into being.”. Supremely, a new leader should not change everything in order to maintain his power and strict control under the followers (population).
--> In all times, people have been looking for leaders who are willing to give it all they have. That is when a leader has to be sure that what he is doing is right so that he will keep going. The effective leader acquires a vision of the future, trust which helps him to judge what is right, creativity which helps to foresee and overcome difficulties, open-mindedness, good communication skills, etc. Being a leader is not a position, but a function. Machiavelli’s concepts can be applied to contemporary leaders in the light of democratic principles and regimes. The dogmas have not been changed, but our interpretation of them and our understanding of the political process differs greatly from the Middle Ages.
credits to a website who wrote this. also the grammatical errors have been corrected and hope this helps!
