#5 - The Machiavellian Mind: A Nuanced Perspective

The previous article addressed a Machiavellian personality, a term used to describe individuals with manipulative tendencies, a focus on self-interest, and a willingness to deceive or exploit others for personal gain. Strategic in their actions, they calculate potential benefits and consequences without concern for moral principles. Before we get to the two key traits—cynicism and lack of remorse—let's consider a few scenarios we may have experienced or heard about in our professional lives.

Cynicism

Have you ever seen someone take advantage of crises such as layoffs to push out rivals or assume their responsibilities and positions? Perhaps you've come across someone undermining the ideas and suggestions of team members. How about someone manipulating their leadership by reporting exaggerated achievements while undermining colleagues to make themselves look better?

Then there are situations when strategic gossip is started, spreading rumors to create division and discord among coworkers, pitting one member against another to safeguard positions and benefits, and eventually rising to a position of influence through these means.

These, my friends, are typical cases of Machiavellian cynicism.

Here, perpetrators exhibit heightened skepticism and distrust toward others.

They indulge in manipulation and deceit to further their interests and gain advantages. They may strategically deceive others, manipulate information, or exploit relationships for personal gain. While skilled at political maneuvering, they lack empathy and disregard others. Exploiting relationships may be second nature, but they also build alliances selectively and make decisions based solely on personal gain without considering the broader impact on the organization or colleagues.

Absence-of-Remorse

Consider instances where false rumors about a colleague destroy professional and personal lives, ensuring fewer obstacles. Or cases where a supervisor manipulates performance evaluations to unfairly disadvantage certain employees. We might have heard of a coworker spreading confidential information about colleagues' personal struggles, leading to humiliation and hostility at work. These perpetrators show no remorse or guilt, believing the end justifies the means—a typical case of Machiavelli and his lack of remorse.

People with such traits do not show remorse.

A Machiavellian may knowingly engage in unethical or harmful behavior toward coworkers or subordinates yet show no genuine remorse or guilt.

They callously manipulate and exploit coworkers without considering the emotional impact or consequences, displaying a disregard for others' well-being. When confronted with the negative consequences of their actions, they deflect blame or responsibility. Many exhibit a lack of empathy, viewing remorse as a sign of weakness and actively suppressing or dismissing any feelings of guilt or regret.

Nuances of Machiavellian Traits: A Broader View on Human Nature

Although this article focuses on cynicism and lack of remorse, not all individuals with Machiavellian tendencies will exhibit these characteristics. Each individual is unique and may display a combination of traits and behaviors associated with Machiavellianism.

So far, we have explored the term Machiavellian and its associated personality traits. As seen in this article and the previous one, we may exhibit these traits in our professional behavior in response to different situations. I beg to differ because these traits are natural to human nature, with Machiavellian being a derogatory term. Rejecting and discarding any idea closes off thought processes related to it, reducing our ability to counter it.

Only by developing profound insights into Machiavellian thinking can we prevent it from occurring in the first place, whether in organizations, individuals, or ourselves.

In the upcoming edition, I will explore methods to counteract and manage these behaviors in individuals.