We are often taught that leaders should be kind, honest, and virtuous at all times. But in the messy, competitive world of reality, is that actually good advice? Or is it a recipe for ruin?In today’s 5-minute briefing on Niccolò Machiavelli’s controversial classic, “The Prince,” we strip away the moral idealism of leadership and look at the brutal truth of power. Discover the concept of Realpolitik and why Machiavelli argued that a leader must learn “how not to be good” to preserve the state.
Niccolò Machiavelli was an Italian Renaissance diplomat, philosopher, and writer widely regarded as the father of modern political science. He established his authority through fourteen years of service as a high-ranking official in the Florentine Republic, where he managed diplomatic missions and …
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