Why Machiavelli Matters Ian Demack

How would you respond if Cesare Borgia invited you to dinner?

Cesare Borgia was the bad boy of the Renaissance. The illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI, he ravaged northern Italy, seizing towns and murdering those who stood in his way. Not even his allies were safe. A dinner invitation could be your death sentence. He stabbed, strangled and poisoned with impunity.

Cesare Borgia died in 1507, so he won't be inviting you to dinner. But his spirit lives on. We will all, at some point in our lives, meet our very own Cesare Borgia.

He--or she--may not be obvious at first. A new manager, a work colleague, a community leader, maybe even a priest--it doesn't matter which disguise he wears. Before you meet your Cesare Borgia, you had best be prepared.

Who better to advise you than someone who met the original and lived to tell the tale? As a Florentine diplomat, Niccolò Machiavelli spent four months in Borgia's court. The behavior he observed there inspired The Prince.

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Bullies are essentially weak. The best defense against a bully is not to cringe, nor to fight back. The best defense against a bully is no defense at all. Bullies are not attracted to people who are strong, calm and self-confident.

The key to effective leadership is self-knowledge and self-acceptance. This is not what most people imagine when they think of Machiavelli. But men like Borgia were destroyed precisely because they lacked self-knowledge. Had Borgia recognized his weaknesses, he would have taken a different path. But only strong people can acknowledge their weaknesses.

Self-acceptance is equally important. Once we accept our imperfections, they lose their power and others cannot use them to manipulate us. We find the courage needed to speak the truth to power. And we find it easier to accept the imperfections in others. Whether we lead or follow, self-knowledge and self-acceptance are indispensable.

Machiavelli teaches us to take responsibility for our relationship with power. This is not obligatory, of course, but merely wise. Understanding Machiavelli gives us a richer appreciation for human nature. It allows us to foresee problems, defuse dangerous situations and make wiser decisions.

To learn the inner workings of power, read The Prince. Observe others with unfailing honesty. Look within yourself. Identify and acknowledge your weaknesses. Cultivate your inner strengths. Then, when the Cesare Borgia in your life invites you to dinner, you will be able to respond with clarity and confidence.