What is Machiavellian Arts Management

What is Machiavellian Arts Management?

Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian statesman who made his mark in history by writing books and plays that dealt with political and social philosophy. Many of his writings were geared towards instructing kings and princes on how to operate in hostile environments and rule their kingdoms effectively. Through various books, such as The Prince and The Art of War, Machiavelli introduced and advocated forms of management and leadership that were, and still are, controversial, self-centered, seemingly divisive, and manipulative.

Historically, the name Machiavelli has come to stand for a negative style of leadership and behavior. Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary defines Machiavellian as, “being or acting in accordance with the principles of government analyzed in Machiavelli’s The Prince, in which political expediency is placed above morality, and the use of craft and deceit to maintain the authority and carry out the policies of a ruler is described.”

As other definitions show, as well as in his own personal writings, Machiavelli told his readers how to gain and retain political power by any means necessary. In spite of this flawed moral leaning, I advocate that the arts world adopt some of the core philosophical principles of Machiavelli’s leadership philosophy. I believe that certain portions of Machiavelli’s thought can be positively adopted by the arts community today, in order to make us more competitive and relevant when compared to other organizations and businesses. Artists and arts leaders can find these principles timeless in their application.

I believe that it is not feasible for artists and arts managers to lead their careers and organizations in virtual vacuums. We must begin to manage our careers and organizations in the ‘is’ and not the ‘ought’. Machiavelli wrote, “But since my intention is to write something useful for the understanding reader, it seems to me more beneficial to go behind to the effectual truth of the matter, rather than focusing on the imagining of it. For many writers have depicted their own republics and principalities which have never been seen or known actually to exist. And since the distance between how one lives and how one should live is so great, he who discards what he does for what he should do, usually learns how to ruin rather than maintain himself.”

In light of this, what I am suggesting is that artists and arts managers effectively manage their careers and organizations in the reality of “what is” actually experienced on a daily basis, instead of directing their actions based upon ideas and techniques that are geared towards “what ought to be”. The task of the arts manager is to avoid the downfall of his career or the destruction of his organization and to be committed to strengthening his organization in order for it to continue the presentation of its artistic craft.

Arts managers must manage their troupes, artistic companies, and other agencies based on the realities that surround any business in the 21st Century. The arts are just one option out of many that consumers may choose from to gain enlightenment, education, or escape from the pressures of life. Arts managers and artists will benefit from adopting an educated and competitive style of organizational and career management that strives to attain a higher level of quality, productivity, and value. This is Machiavellian Arts Management.