Niccolo Machiavelli

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) was born in Florence, Italy, where he rose to minor political power at an early age. His career endured many ups and downs, depending upon who was in power at the time. Accused of conspiring against the ruling Medici family, Machiavelli was tortured and imprisoned, though he never confessed and was eventually released. However, as a result, he was never able to recover a political position and remained in near poverty for the rest of his life.

Although Machiavelli's The Prince was specifically written to revitalize Machiavelli's diplomatic career, it has since been hailed as the first modern analysis of power as well as condemned as amoral cynicism. The following selection reveals the essence of Machiavelli's theories of leadership: It is best for a leader to be both loved and feared, but since that is...