What does Machiavellian Arts Management Look Like?

What does Machiavellian Arts Management Look Like?
The Prince was addressed to Italy’s new ruler. After the young prince’s ascension to the throne, Machiavelli deemed it his personal responsibility to enlighten the prince about the skills and knowledge that would be needed to successfully keep his throne. It is no secret that several of Machiavelli’s suggestions were, and still are, considered barbaric and brutal. In the midst of these negative instructions, there can be found several positive points that can be taken and emulated by arts managers in their individual organizations. These points are as follows:
§ Learn from the examples of those who have come before you.
§ Prepare for war, even in times of peace.
§ Maintain adequate assistants.
§ Be aware of alliances.
I will now elaborate on each of these points, individually, and later show how they relate to arts managers.

Learn From the Example of Those Who Have Ruled Before You
Having knowledge of the prevalent electoral process, and possibly Lorenzo’s lack of leadership skills, Machiavelli starts out by advising him to closely watch the footsteps of rulers who came before him in order to see who was a success and who was an utter failure. “Given that men always follow the paths set down by others and proceed in their actions by imitation, a prudent man should always follow in the footsteps of great men. He should imitate those who have been outstanding despite the fact that he will be unable to follow their paths exactly or aspire to their personal ability. Even if his personal ability fails to match theirs, at least it will benefit through comparison.” (Milner, pg. 53)
Machiavelli concedes that following the example of someone else would not guarantee that Lorenzo would be as successful as that ruler had been. However, Machiavelli does suggest that Lorenzo would be seen in a positive light as being a capable ruler and strategist because he took his plans from a successful leader. Machiavelli also says that the fact that Lorenzo may not be as successful as any of the people who he was trying to emulate should not stop him from having high hopes. “He should follow the example of the prudent archers who, when the target they want to hit seems too far away, bear in mind their bows capability and set their aim considerably higher than the intended target, with the intention, not of shooting above it, but of reaching it with the help of high trajectory.” (Milner, pg. 53) As the old saying goes, “If you shoot for the stars and miss, at least you will land on the moon”.
Machiavelli later implies that by learning the successes and failures of former rulers, Lorenzo would be able to sift through their tactics for war and leadership, extract successful actions, while leaving their failed ideas, and combine them with his own tactics in order to become a formidable leader. “As regards the training of the mind, the prince should read histories, and observe the actions of outstanding men contained in them, noting how they acted in times of war, examining the reasons for their victories and defeats in order to be able to imitate the former and avoid the latter. Above all, he should do what certain outstanding men did in the past, in taking someone who has been praised and glorified before them as a model for imitation, always keeping their actions and deeds close at hand.” (Milner, pg. 88)
Machiavelli implies that a new ruler will be held in high esteem, if for no other reason than that he was familiar with the abilities and accomplishments of those who came before him. Lorenzo would be considered wise, studious, and formidable if he paid respect to other people who conquered the land before him. In Machiavelli’s estimation, a ruler’s public image was of the utmost importance, especially that of Lorenzo’s, “for the actions of a new prince are under far more scrutiny than those of a hereditary one.” (Milner, pg. 119) As I previously stated, Lorenzo was likely placed in his position of power as a political favor. Therefore, he probably had much more to prove as a leader.