Maintain Adequate Assistants
The next key idea is Machiavelli’s advice that Lorenzo surround himself with able minded assistants. “The first impression one forms of a ruler’s intelligence is based on an examination of the men he keeps around him.” (Milner, pg. 116) The abilities of an assistant are a direct reflection on the prince. “When they are capable and loyal, he can always be thought wise because he recognizes them as capable and keeps them loyal. When they are otherwise, it always gives a bad impression, since the first mistake he makes, he makes in this choice.” (Milner, pg. 116)
Machiavelli stresses the importance of a ruler surrounding himself with men who are strong enough to have their own opinions and ideas. “There is no other defense against flattery than letting men know that they do not offend you by telling you the truth.” (Milner, pg. 117) It is very apparent that it would be better to have an assistant who will tell the prince that he is unclothed, than to let the ruler go before his court naked and shamed.
Machiavelli then says that it is the prince’s responsibility to cultivate this type of relationship, which would be beneficial for all parties involved. “He should comport himself with each of these advisers in such a way that each knows that the more freely he speaks the more readily he will be accepted.” (Milner, pg. 118) The benefits to this type of relationship are obvious. The prince would receive counsel from trusted and respected men, which reiterates learning from the experiences of others, while his assistants are made to feel that their opinions mattered and were respected.
According to Machiavelli, as part of this union, it is the prince’s responsibility to make the valuable assistant, or anyone who works for the benefit of the kingdom, feel appreciated. “A prince should also demonstrate that he admires the virtues of other people, encouraging men with ability and honouring those who excel in a particular field. For a prince should prepare rewards for….anyone who thinks of any way to make his city or state greater. In addition, at the appropriate time of the year, he should entertain the people with celebrations and performances.” (Milner, pg. 115)
Thursday, May 8, 2008
What does Machiavellian Arts Management Look Like? Part 2
Prepare for War, Even in Times of Peace
Next, Machiavelli addresses what he considers to be the most important aspect of leading a country. “A prince, therefore should have no concern, no thought, or pursue any other art besides the art of war, its organization and instruction. This is the only art that those who command are expected to master.” (Milner, pg. 86)
The major benefits of preparing for war, as presented by Machiavelli, are physical and mental strength. Physical strength for endurance, and mental strength for strategy development. He starts by addressing the physical aspect. “He should never, therefore, cease to think about the occupation of being a soldier, and should exercise more vigorously in times of peace than in times of war. This he can do in two ways, physically and mentally. As far as physical exercise is concerned, in addition to keeping his army well organized and trained, he should always be hunting. This will help him both to accustom his body to discomfort and to learn something of the lie of the land, so that he knows where the mountains rise up, where the valleys narrow down and how the plains extend, and observes the characteristics of the rivers and marshes.” (Milner, pg. 87)
Machiavelli then addresses the mental benefits. “This knowledge is useful in two ways. Firstly, he becomes familiar with his own country and better understands how to defend it. Secondly, through his knowledge and experience of those areas, he can more easily understand every other area that it might be necessary for him to spy out. For the hills, the valleys, the plains, the rivers, and the marshes of Tuscany, for example, have a certain similarity to those of other regions, so that from a knowledge of how the land lies in one region, he can easily come to understand another. The prince who lacks this skill, lacks the first attribute that a commander must possess, since it teaches him how to locate the enemy, where to strike camp, how to lead armies, plan battles and besiege towns to his advantage.” (Milner, pg. 87)
Machiavelli also compares a prince’s ability to stay prepared for war to that of a farmer or a town of people who are faced with drastic weather conditions. The time to prepare for such conditions is not when water is beating at your front door. The time to prepare is during the peaceful season when resources are plentiful and can be safely stored to use in the future. Dry, preserved wood can be used to build a barricade to keep most flood waters at bay, or to construct stilts for a home to sit upon. In Machiavelli’s mind, it is inevitable that a prince, a state, or a nation will face difficulties or uncertainty at some point.
Next, Machiavelli addresses what he considers to be the most important aspect of leading a country. “A prince, therefore should have no concern, no thought, or pursue any other art besides the art of war, its organization and instruction. This is the only art that those who command are expected to master.” (Milner, pg. 86)
The major benefits of preparing for war, as presented by Machiavelli, are physical and mental strength. Physical strength for endurance, and mental strength for strategy development. He starts by addressing the physical aspect. “He should never, therefore, cease to think about the occupation of being a soldier, and should exercise more vigorously in times of peace than in times of war. This he can do in two ways, physically and mentally. As far as physical exercise is concerned, in addition to keeping his army well organized and trained, he should always be hunting. This will help him both to accustom his body to discomfort and to learn something of the lie of the land, so that he knows where the mountains rise up, where the valleys narrow down and how the plains extend, and observes the characteristics of the rivers and marshes.” (Milner, pg. 87)
Machiavelli then addresses the mental benefits. “This knowledge is useful in two ways. Firstly, he becomes familiar with his own country and better understands how to defend it. Secondly, through his knowledge and experience of those areas, he can more easily understand every other area that it might be necessary for him to spy out. For the hills, the valleys, the plains, the rivers, and the marshes of Tuscany, for example, have a certain similarity to those of other regions, so that from a knowledge of how the land lies in one region, he can easily come to understand another. The prince who lacks this skill, lacks the first attribute that a commander must possess, since it teaches him how to locate the enemy, where to strike camp, how to lead armies, plan battles and besiege towns to his advantage.” (Milner, pg. 87)
Machiavelli also compares a prince’s ability to stay prepared for war to that of a farmer or a town of people who are faced with drastic weather conditions. The time to prepare for such conditions is not when water is beating at your front door. The time to prepare is during the peaceful season when resources are plentiful and can be safely stored to use in the future. Dry, preserved wood can be used to build a barricade to keep most flood waters at bay, or to construct stilts for a home to sit upon. In Machiavelli’s mind, it is inevitable that a prince, a state, or a nation will face difficulties or uncertainty at some point.
Friday, May 2, 2008
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.
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.
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