Machiavelli Teaches You How to Do

Author: Michael Porter
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-06-01
Features: Today, the leaders of large companies in the global free-market economy bear striking similarities to the Italian rulers of the Renaissance as depicted by Niccolò Machiavelli in his classic work "The Prince" on powerful politics. Like kings, only managers and employees ensure their loyalty, and only shareholders and subordinates can guarantee the company's development. Only then can modern CEOs "survive." Kings strive to make their city-states surpass others, becoming even more glorious and prominent; at the right time, they use intrigue or war to defeat their rivals. CEOs, on the other hand, compete with other companies for market share and, at the right moment, acquire them. To achieve their ambitions, kings, like CEOs, identify useful "management geniuses"—mercenaries' leaders—in war and keep them after victory. Mercenaries' leaders are adept at "mergers and acquisitions" in their time. In short, as Lord Porter describes in this sharp-witted and insightful book, Machiavelli's ideas are largely relevant to modern management. The author first cites Machiavelli's original text and then elaborates on it through his own unique experiences in the business world, creating a series of brilliant and concise chapters.