"The Prince"

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm seeking to improve my mind by reading some of the greatest works of literature.  I began this quest with a short little book entitled "The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli.  I downloaded it for free through ibooks and read it in about a week, a great feat for me as I am a slow reader.  Mrs. Hooper, my 10th grade English teacher, assigned this title for us to read, and I truly cannot remember if I completed my assignment or not.  I remember reading some of it and it not keeping my attention.  The read was definitely easier now that I'm a little older, a leader of others and possess a better idea of the way the world works.  


"The Prince" is a collection of thoughts and observations made by Machiavelli on how one successfully holds the title of Prince.  Written in Europe in the 1500's, the title of Prince held more weight than it does today, probably less paparazzi and international wedding sensations.  Machiavelli encourages Princes on how to keep their subjects in their place using examples from ancient and recent history.  His goal is noble, he simply wants to help people succeed and avoid the pitfalls of their predecessors.  However, to me it was unnerving to read about how one must do absolutely anything and everything to hold onto one's power.  That power, its acquisition, maintenance and growth are paramount to everything else in life is not something that sits well in my spirit.  


I'm well aware that power is the ultimate goal for most people within politics, religion and business, it's just not something I personally desire.  I'm much more interested in a team of people working together for a common goal than a group of people performing acts just to make someone else richer or greater in the eyes of the world.  Believe me, I've tried to force my brain to switch gears and make decisions that will make me look better while provoking the ire of those who follow me, and it has always ended badly.  One bit of advice that I did agree with Machiavelli related to maintaining the peace and overall happiness of the people the Prince leads.  He promoted the idea that the Prince may have to be stern to his subjects, but he should never provoke their hatred.  Even if the task is great, if everyone involved understands the importance and benefit of the task's completion, compliance is far easier to achieve.  I've seen that happen within my company, a manager mistreats his people and it always concludes with the manager losing his job.  


Overall, I enjoyed reading "The Prince".  It was the first "secular" leadership book I've read in a long time and it challenged the ways I lead and think about those who follow me.  One of the accomplishments I hope to achieve in this goal of reading is precisely what this book provided, exposure to ideas that caused me to question and come to terms with my personal beliefs regarding religious and practical applications.  In my opinion that is an exercise that modern Christians fail to perform.