Niccolo Machiavelli and the Qualities of Effective Leadership

This week we've been studying an important philosopher from the Renaissance: Niccolo Machiavelli. The students learned that Machiavelli had a different perspective about leadership than the philosophers who came before him.

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We began by considering a hypothetical scenario:

The President of the United States believes that a foreign country, Bardor, is planning to attack the United States. The President has decided to launch a pre-emptive invasion of Bardor in two weeks, to protect us.

At a news conference, a reporter asks the President whether it’s true that the United States Army is planning to invade Bardor in the near future.

In order to keep his military plans a secret from the leaders of Bardor, the President responds with a lie: “No, we are not planning any such attack.”

Is it ok that the President lied?

The students gave a range of responses to the scenario:

• Some were comfortable with the President's lie, because his goal in lying was to protect people. 
• Other students argued that a President should never lie. Lying is wrong; plus, if a leader lies once, then how can he be trusted in the future? 
• Still others said that the President should have told more of a "white lie", by evading the question.

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Most classical philosophers believed that leaders should be honest and fair in all their dealings. They would not have approved of a President who told lies, even in the scenario above.

Machiavelli, however, argued that an effective leader must be willing to "bend the rules" in the service of his people. Because the world can be a ruthless, dangerous place, a leader should be willing to respond with ruthlessness as well -- if it's truly necessary.

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Having learned about the reasons for his philosophy about leadership, some students remained very skeptical of Machiavelli. They pointed out the many reasons that a compassionate, honest and fair leader will be more effective.

Other students, however, made the point that Machiavelli is simply giving advice based on the way the world actually works -- not just the way we wish it would be.

Machiavelli lived in Florence, and the students enjoyed the beauty of the town's famous cathedral, the Duomo.