The Good Book (80 page)

  3. Nothing makes leaders more esteemed than undertaking great enterprises and setting a fine example,

  4. Or anyway an unusual example, gaining for themselves the reputation of being remarkable individuals.

  5. A leader is also respected when he is either a true friend or a severe enemy,

  6. When, without any reservation, he declares himself in favour of one party against the other;

  7. Which course will always be more advantageous than standing neutral,

  8. Because if others come into conflict, and are of such a character that one has either to fear the winner or not,

  9. It will always be more advantageous to declare oneself and contend strenuously;

10. For those who win do not want doubtful friends, and those who lose will not befriend one who stood by as they endeavoured.

11. It will always happen that those who are not one’s friend will demand one’s neutrality,

12. While those who are one’s friend will entreat one to side withthem.

13. And irresolute leaders, to avoid present difficulties, generally follow a neutral path,

14. And are generally therefore ruined. But when a leader declares himself gallantly in favour of one side, if the party with whom he allies himself conquers,

15. Although the victor may be powerful and may have him at his mercy, yet he is indebted to him, and there is established a bond of amity;

16. And people are rarely so shameless as to become a monument of ingratitude later.

17. Victories after all are never so complete that the victor must not show some regard, especially to justice.

18. But if he with whom one allies oneself loses, one may be sheltered by him, and while he is able he may aid one, and become a companion to a fortune that may rise again.

19. In the second case, when those who fight are of such a character that one has no anxiety as to who may win, so much the more is it greater prudence to be allied.

20. But let it be noted that a leader ought to take care never to make an alliance with one more powerful than himself for the purposes of contending with others, unless necessity compels him;

21. Because if the more powerful leader wins, one is at his discretion,

22. And leaders ought to avoid as much as possible being at the discretion of anyone.

23. Never let any government imagine that it can choose perfectly safe courses.

24. Rather let it expect to have to take very doubtful courses, because it is found in ordinary affairs that one never seeks to avoid one trouble without running into another;

25. But prudence consists in knowing how to distinguish the character of troubles, and for choice to take the lesser evil.

Chapter 7

  1. A leader ought to show himself a patron of ability, and to honour the proficient in every art.

  2. At the same time he should encourage his followers to practise their callings peaceably,

  3. And make them know that there is no risk that the reward of their efforts will be denied them or taken from them,

  4. But they will receive reward and the enjoyment from it freely.

  5. Further, he ought to fete his followers at convenient times, and show himself an example of courtesy and liberality;

  6. Nevertheless, always maintaining the right relationship of his position,

  7. For too great familiarity loosens the bonds between leader and led, and in the end undoes both.

Chapter 8

  1. The leader must consider how to avoid what will make him disliked or contemptible, so that he need fear no reproach.

  2. It makes him most disliked to be selfish, and to ignore the feelings and wishes of those he leads.

  3. When neither the position nor the pride of followers is impugned, the majority of them are content,

  4. And the leader has only to contend with the ambition of a few, to whom he can respond with ease in many ways.

  5. It makes him contemptible to be considered fickle, frivolous, mean-hearted, irresolute, from all of which a leader should guard himself as from a rock;

  6. And he should endeavour to show in his actions courage, fortitude and magnanimity;

  7. And in his private dealings with his subjects let him show that his judgements are firm,

  8. And maintain himself in such reputation that no one can hope either to deceive him or to persuade him against doing what is right.

  9. That leader is esteemed who conveys this impression of himself, and he who is esteemed is not easily conspired against;

10. For, provided it is well known that he is an excellent man and revered by his people, he can only be attacked with difficulty.

11. For this reason a leader ought to have two fears, one from within, on account of his followers, the other from without, on account of external circumstances.

12. From the latter he is defended by being well prepared and having good allies.

13. If he is well prepared he will have good friends, and affairs will always remain quiet within when they are quiet without.

14. And even should affairs outside be disturbed, if he has carried out his preparations and has conducted himself honourably,

15. As long as he does not despair, he will resist every difficulty that his own powers and resource can overcome.

16. But concerning his followers, when affairs outside are disturbed he has only to fear that they will turn against him secretly,

17. From which a leader can easily secure himself by keeping the fidelity of his followers, which is in turn secured by keeping them properly satisfied with him.

18. For this reason a leader ought to reckon disaffections of little account when his followers hold him in esteem;

19. But when they are hostile to him, and bear hatred towards him, he ought to fear everything and everybody.

20. And well-ordered states and wise leaders have taken every care not to drive the other senior people to opposition, and to keep the people satisfied and contented,

21. For this is one of the most important objects a leader can have.

22. Neither could there be a better or a more prudent arrangement, or a greater source of security for a leader,

23. Than that he ought to leave affairs of reproach to be managed by others, while keeping those of grace in his own hands.

24. Let others make recriminations, give unwelcome orders, make dismissal or demotion;

25. The leader should be the one to reward and praise.

Chapter 9

  1. The choice of assistants is of the greatest importance to a leader, and their worth is according to his powers of discrimination.

  2. Here is his primary skill, in appointing good assistants to manage his affairs.

  3. For the first opinion one forms of a leader, and of his understanding, is by observing those he has around him;

  4. When they are capable and faithful he may always be considered wise, because he has known how to recognise the capable and to keep them faithful;

  5. But when they are otherwise one cannot form a good opinion of him, for the prime error he made was in choosing them.

  6. But to enable a leader to form an opinion of his assistant there is one test that never fails;

  7. When he sees the assistant thinking more of his own interests than of his leader’s,

  8. And seeking inwardly his own profit in everything, such a one will never make a good assistant, nor will he ever be trustworthy;

  9. For he who has the state of another in his hands ought never to think of himself, but always of his principal,

10. And never pay any attention to matters in which the leader is not concerned.

11. But to keep his assistant faithful the leader ought to study him, honouring him, advancing him,

12. Doing him kindnesses, rewarding him well and sharing his plans and cares.

13. At the same time let him see that the assistant cannot stand alone,

14. So that rewards and praises may not make him desire more than both, and that cares may not make him timid.

15. When, therefore, leaders and their assistants are thus disposed, they can trust each other,

16. But when it is otherwise, the outcome will always be unsatisfactory for one or the other.

Chapter 10

  1. In order to know how wrong is sometimes done by those who lead,

  2. Hear what is said by advisers who teach leaders that they must sometimes do wrong in order to lead.

  3. They say: ‘Everyone admits how praiseworthy it is in a leader to keep faith, and to live with integrity and not with craft.

  4. ‘Yet history shows that those leaders who have done great things have held good faith of little account, and in the end have overcome any who relied on their word.

  5. ‘There are two ways of resolving disputes, the one by agreement, the other by contest; the first method is proper to mankind, the second to beasts.

  6. ‘But because the first has frequently proved insufficient, men have often taken recourse to the second.

  7. ‘Therefore it is necessary to understand how leaders are apt to conduct themselves in both ways as appropriate.

  8. ‘A wise leader cannot, nor ought he to, keep faith when such observance may be turned against him, and when the reasons that caused him to pledge it exist no longer.

  9. ‘If men were entirely good this precept would not hold, but because they are often bad, and will not keep faith with each other, no one is bound to keep faith when it is injurious to himself.

10. ‘Nor will there ever be wanting to a leader legitimate reasons to excuse this.

11. ‘But this means that it is necessary to know how to disguise this characteristic, and to dissemble when required.

12. ‘Men are so simple, and so subject to present necessities, that he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived.

13. ‘Accordingly it is unnecessary for a leader to have all the good qualities that men admire, but it is very necessary to appear to have them.

14. ‘To have such qualities and always to exercise them is injurious, but to appear to have them is useful;

15. ‘To appear merciful, faithful, humane, upright, and to be so, but with a mind so framed that should you require not to be so, you may be able to change to the opposite.

16. ‘A leader cannot observe all those things for which men are esteemed,

17. ‘Being often forced, in order to maintain his situation, to act contrary to fidelity, friendship and humanity.

18. ‘Therefore it is necessary for him to be ready to adapt as the winds and variations of fortune force it;

19. ‘Not to diverge from the good if he can avoid doing so, but, if compelled, then to know how to set about it.

20. ‘For this reason, a leader ought to take care that he never lets anything slip from his lips that is not replete with the above-named qualities,

21. ‘That he may appear to those who see and hear him altogether merciful, faithful, humane and upright.

22. ‘There is nothing more necessary to appear to have than this last quality, inasmuch as men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand,

23. ‘Because it belongs to everybody to see us, to few to come in touch with us directly.

24. ‘Everyone sees what a man appears to be, few really know what he is, and those few dare not oppose themselves to the opinion of the many.

25. ‘History teaches that when a leader has the credit of gaining and holding his success, the means will always be considered honest, and he will be praised by everybody;

26. ‘Because ordinary folk are always taken by what a thing seems to be and by what comes of it;

27. ‘And in the world there are only such, for the few find a place there only when the many have no ground to rest on.’

28. Are such advisers right, who teach dissembling in pursuit of success, and the appearance of virtue when virtue itself cannot triumph, but with its opposite in its place?

29. It can be said that they have history on their side, but not philosophy.

Chapter 11

  1. Every state is a community of some kind, and every community is established with a view to some good;

  2. For people always act in order to obtain that which they think good.

  3. But, if all communities aim at some good, the state or political community,

  4. Which is the highest of all, and which embraces all the rest,

  5. Aims at good in a greater degree than any other, and at the highest good.

  6. Some people think that the qualifications of a statesman, king, householder and master are the same,

  7. And that they differ, not in kind, but only in the number of their subjects.