Do You Know a Machiavellian Leader?

I am fully aware that the subject of the title is a pretty well-worn cliché, but to know your enemy is to be prepared, so I wanted to explore some of the traits that these unscrupulous operators might exhibit.

However, rather than come up with any original ideas (perish the thought), I thought that I would refer to the seminal work “The Prince” written in 1513 by Niccolo Machiavelli himself. Napoleon, Bismarck and Hitler were all fans of the book – maybe a few people in your office have a copy stashed under their pillow?

Machiavelli's basic premise was that if you want to lead, you need power. If you want power, you have to do all you can to hold onto it. To start with, here are a few selected beliefs of a Machiavellian leader:

I - Don’t manage by consensus. Do it yourself.

II - When you win power, you need to show strong leadership immediately.

III - If you don’t have a clue what’s going on, just get your hands dirty.

IV - Unpopular decisions will bring hatred and resentment – it comes with the territory.

V - When you are under pressure, you have to defend only the important stuff.

VI - When you are in charge, being loved is optional, better to be respected.

VII - Deceit is usually easier than you think – if the people that you are lying to have an interest in being deceived.

VIII - Being in charge lets you tell the story your way and in your own time.

IX - When two people fight each other, the weaker one becomes your friend.

X - If you’ve had a setback, don’t wait for someone else to make it right.

The underlying thread here lies with the belief that consolidation of power lies in the hands of the leader and their hands only. They do not allow people to get close to them and closely control the messages that they communicate. Their autocratic style does not allow any space for individual expression and their “minions” are either compliant, or they are sidelined.

The Machiavellian leader is equally not concerned with being popular. Their agenda will be better served by being respected than loved, but this respect is often one of fear rather than admiration. They will not think twice about pitting people against each other, “dividing and conquering” potential future rivals, and building their power base with the masses of the losing side. If there are enough battles, there will be enough “losers” who fear for their lives (or their careers). If you feel like a loser, what is there left but to cosy up with the megalomaniac boss? He has you right where he wants you, but what other choice is there?

Machiavellian leaders are not afraid to let things fall off the table. If a project is deemed unimportant to them and they have other priorities, they will not hesitate to let it lie fallow. They don’t care whose interests may be harmed – for them other interests do not exist outside their own. They are pragmatic about the cyclical nature of life (and business) and are ready to make the required decisions themselves before the decisions are forced upon them.

However, as with many things in life, there are two sides to every coin. A few of the ten traits listed above could equally be used by a benevolent leader. Machiavelli’s leaders were driven by a selfish desire, but for the leader who is conscious of empowering his team to perform and winning by helping them to win, there are also a few nuggets of wisdom. Getting your hands dirty if you do not understand the situation and putting right potential mistakes yourself is management advice that would grace any textbook.

It is natural that each type of leader has a certain amount of power.

The question for Machiavelli was: do you use it or abuse it?