A mayor’s secretary gets no respect, but her executive assistant is a powerful person in city hall. Sometimes just changing the title of a job works wonders for building loyalty and securing obligation. Give them raises, or prestigious job titles. Recognize the talent and the flaws in your closest staff and supporters, and react appropriately to them. “…good and the bad in his advisor, can praise the good and punish the bad thus the advisor cannot hope to deceive him, and is kept honest.” Rewards and Punishment The first is make sure you can recognize how smart your advisors really are, and tell they are not merely flatterers, sycophants or fools. Ignore the third.īut of course Machiavelli throws in caveats. Try to attract the first if you can’t, settle for the second. Which means: there are smart people, then there are people who know others are smart, and finally there are those who are stupid and can’t see that others are smarter than they. “There are three classes of intellects… one which understands things by itself the second which appreciates what others can understand and a third which neither understands for itself nor through others the first kind is excellent, the second is good enough, the third is useless.” “The wisest princes need not think it any diminution to their greatness, or derogation to their sufficiency to rely upon counsel.”īut know who to select for your inner circle: They will fall on the sword for you, too. They will be loyal because you give them position, respect, honour and, of course, power. If you don’t really understand an issue, an intelligent advisor will be able to clarify it for you.
Therefore it makes sense to surround yourself with smart, capable and wise people. But when they are lacking in those qualities, one forms a bad opinion of the prince, for his first error was in choosing them.”
IN THE PRINCE MACHIAVELLI ADVISES RULERS TO HOW TO
If they are capable and loyal he will be considered wise, because he knows how to recognize their ability and to keep them faithful. “The choice of servants is very important to a prince… the first opinion which one forms of a prince, and of his wisdom, is by observing the men he has around him. Today they are your administrative professionals: the executive assistant, communications officer, CAO or city manager, and your department heads. Some were like today’s administrative assistants, while others, like Machiavelli, were diplomats. In Machiavelli’s day, secretaries were more powerful. “Men can acquire reputation with the multitude of the company of wise men who have good habits, for there can be no better measure of a man than the company he keeps and therefore one who keeps the company of the wise acquires a name for wisdom, and one who keeps the company of the virtuous is thought to be good, since it is impossible that he should not bear some resemblance to his companions.”īishop Stephen Gardiner, 1555, quoted in A Machiavellian TreatiseĬhapter XXII is titled: Concerning the Secretaries of Princes. They reflect the outward manifestation of your personal judgment. They will be who the public meets before they get to you, and how these people represent you will shape your reputation and public image.
The people who are in close orbit around you will often be the main conduit to you for the public. Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause.” “Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit. Make sure your senior staff are people you trust to implement your decisions and won’t undermine them when you’re not watching. Make sure the people who represent your council and the municipality on important boards, or as your delegates, are up to the task, and will express your message – not promote their own agendas. Choose your staff, and the councillors who will work closely with you, wisely.
0 kommentar(er)
