...In the excerpt from Prince, Machiavelli depicts two types of leaders: those who are loved and those who are feared. Machiavelli states that it is “ much safer to be feared than loved” but is that necessarily true? Many leaders throughout time that have been successful were liked by their people. When was the last time you associated being loved with war? Never but when was the last time you associated being feared with war? These obstreperous people under the feared leaders would rather not be constantly fearing what their leader might do. Eventually, they will stand up for themselves and revolt. Leaders, such as John F. Kennedy, who were generally loved are in a better situation than those leaders who are feared. John F. Kennedy — the 35th...
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...Is leader better loved or feared? Even though feared leaders will ultimately always produce a result, being a loved leader you can get your followers to want to do what you ask of them because being feared will produce only the results that you want, being loved will likely produce results that exceed your expectations and being a loved leader will get you honest feedback from all those behind you. So should a leader be feared or loved by those who follow them? History has shown that results can be achieved either way. However, will the ones who follow stay loyal once the outcome has been achieved? Historic leaders such as Hitler in Nazi Germany or present day leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-il have gained leadership and kept it using fear and oppression as their tactic. Other leaders such as JFK of the United States and Ghandi as a leader of his peace movement in India were both loved by all those who followed them. They both lead their nations to happiness and prosperity. Even though these two methods are complete opposites they were both successful in their own ways. It is my opinion that leaders who are loved are able to convey ideas and achieve purpose more effectively when it comes to the interest of the people they lead. It is important for a leader to be loved, admired, and respected. How can one be sure that those who claim they are loyal will truly be loyal when put into a situation where it is tested? When a leader has proved their love and are then loved in return...
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...As a leader, is it better to be feared, or revered? Lynn Dean Excelsior College Abstract With every generation of leaders, the ageless debate surfaces; as a leader, is it better to be feared or revered? Leadership attributes, skills, and styles are the driving forces to lead others to successful mission accomplishment. Good leadership is based on these fundamental, unchanging qualities, such as competence, character, and a profound sense of responsibility. Styles of leadership may vary over time or may evolve with changing circumstances, but these bedrock qualities are foundations of a leaders' substance. Profiling historic leaders shows how these qualities are embodied by these leaders. Even with these qualities being present in all successful leaders, they can still be perceived as either feared or revered. It stands in good contention that successful leaders, whether feared or revered possessed the same qualities. The differences in the perception, is in how the leaders deployed their leadership philosophies. Many leaders are revered by their followers, and feared by their enemies, as where other leaders are feared by their followers. Keywords: Leaders, leadership. As a Leader, is it Better to be Feared, or Revered? Machiavelli believed that a great leader should be feared rather than loved. A midstream conservative approach is to say that it’s better to be both loved and feared, but we know in all reality that this is a nearly unattainable...
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...Martincek MBA 560 – Ethical Leadership and Sustainable Organizations Introduction Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian political philosopher, writer, and humanist who is recognized as the founder of modern political science and political ethics. Michaivelli was diplomat in Florence for 14 years but when the Medici family returned to power in 1512, Machiavelli was dismissed and briefly jailed. While in jail, he wrote a handbook called “The Prince”, which was a guide for politicians on how to rule. This book influenced the minds of other politicians, inspiring the term “Machiavellian” and establishing Machiavelli as the “father of modern political theory”. In “The Prince”, Machiavelli presented the question whether it is better to be loved or feared, which has been debated since the book came out. Machiavelli Background Machiavelli was born on the May 3, 1469 in Florence, Italy. The young Machiavelli always had the desire to occupy political office. In 1494 Machiavelli obtained a job as a diplomat after the Medici family was exiled from rule and held this post for 14 years. He also gave advice on military tactics, successfully organizing infantry forces in specific Italian campaigns and establishing a Florentine militia. Machiavelli was jailed in 1512 after unsuccessfully attempting to organize a Florentine militia against the Medici family, who had returned to power. While in jail, Machiavelli desperately wanted to return to politics and his goal was to win the favor of...
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...George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Julius Caesar, These individuals were considered by many to be three of the most successful leaders in history, who were loved by the people they led. But is it better to be loved, or feared? Other people throughout history have been successful on the other side of the spectrum; people who lead by fear. Leaders such as Genghis Khan, and Attila the Hun, were widely feared by the people they ruled. However, this did not get in the way of their success as leaders. In fact, that same fear may have benefitted them. There are many pros and cons to both ways of ruling. For example, you can be loved by your people and only do things that benefit everyone, but your actions will prevent you from advancing in any way. You cannot gain a new territory, or take control of a new resource without a cost to others-There is always an expense. Now let's say that you decide to use fear to your advantage and rule with an iron fist. It will without a doubt provide many short term wins in the beginning and make your people happy, but eventually you may have control of more land than you can manage. You may have also made more people and/or countries unite against you than you can handle. A major advantage of ruling through fear is that...
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...majority of successful societies have been based upon effective divisions of leadership. Accordingly, in their pieces of literature, The Tao-te Ching and The Qualities of the Prince, Lao-tzu and Machiavelli have sought to convey a more complete and concrete understanding of their respective definitions and duties of a ruler (leadership). The theme of political leaders and their intricate relationship with society indeed validate itself within both texts. However, both Lao-tzu and Machiavelli approach this issue from almost entirely opposite positions, though sharing minute similarities. Lao-tzu appears to focus the majority of his attention on letting problems or situations take their course, and consequently good would prevail. On the contrary, Machiavelli advocates the necessity for a successful leader, or prince, to take control of his deeds, and the skills or qualities necessary to maintain power. Since both writers propose a question as to what is in essence the same dilemma, effective leadership, it becomes almost natural literary etiquette to contrast the two in an effort to better understand what qualities a prosperous leader must possess. Despite each author’s contrasting approaches to rhetoric, they agree that a ruler should avoid being hated and despised, but disagree in areas such as government involvement in citizens’ everyday lives. In comparing Lao-tzu and Machiavelli in terms of governing standards, many may doubt that they are comparable in any aspect. Though their...
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...Adrianna Goodrich Hour 3 The Prince Essay In Machiavelli’s “The Prince” he approaches the question “Is it better to be feared or loved.” Love endures a bond which anyone can break to their advantage giving more reason for a leader to be feared. Any leader should be feared, because compassion destroys order, cruelty comes with a price, and love is limited. Sympathizing order leads to chaos. If you sympathize people and show them compassion they expect more. Caligula was a popular leader at first, because he freed citizens from imprisonment, and got rid of harsh sales tax. As shown he is compassionate towards his people. Once the people have less to do that piles more work for you. Being compassionate is okay, but not with order. Everyone needs rules to live or even a little guidance. Machiavellian is a word meaning craft and deceit to maintain authority and to carry out a ruler's policies. With maintaining order you need the right attitude to do so....
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...Historical and political thinkers have pondered the question, whether it is better for a leader to be feared or to be loved, for centuries. Two writers, ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu and Italian Renaissance writer Niccolo Machiavelli, have presented considerably different opinions on how a ruler should run his, or her, country. In the "Tao the Ching", Lao-Tzu believes it is better for a leader to be loved, however in Machiavelli's "The Qualities of the Prince", he believes it is better for a ruler to be feared, without being hated. While contemplating the question, whether it is better for a leader to be feared or to be loved, there are several bases of comparison to analyze when arriving at a conclusion. One of the bases of comparison...
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...Machiavelli was teaching a young ruler how to hold on to his power in a time of political instability. He did not advocate random, self-serving cruelty, such as the acts that Macbeth performs. He instead suggested that one take charge by making an example of a few enemies or rebellious citizens, and then slowly begin to reward those who are loyal: "Injuries must be inflicted all together so that, swallowed less, they injure less, and benefits have to be bestowed little by little so that they can be savored better." Machiavelli clearly believed that fear alone could not help a prince to stay in power. He knew that ideally, the people would support their leader out of love. However, this is another way his ideas have...
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...THE SUPERIOR FORM OF GOVERNANCE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN THE VIEWS OF NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI AND LAO TZU Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in Political Science College of Arts and Sciences San Sebastian College- Recoletos, Manila August 2013 Vincent Roland R. Managuelod Ray Joshua B. Valdez INTRODUCTION In Politics there are many schools of thought that form the basis for the policies used in the operation of the government. These schools of thought vary greatly in purpose and belief, with many of these schools actively opposing one another. Ultimately, whatever beliefs these schools of thought may hold, and whatever actions these beliefs may lead them and the state their purpose is to shape the state into what they believe is ideal and beneficial for all. Of the many ideologies which are followed by statesmen, varied they may be, the ultimate goal is to create a society according to their ideals. In this study we will be discussing two thinkers whose schools of thought have had a significant impact on political philosophy today. The first is Niccolo Machiavelli. A philosopher, politician, diplomat and historian whose works have made his name a by-word for pragmatism and ruthlessness not just in politics but in everyday life. His most famous work, the Prince, advocated the separation of personal morals to that of one’s political morals, and the emphasis not on ideology but on what would be the most beneficial...
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...People’s Republic of China on September 30th 1949. This surge in power allowed Mao to employ his Marxist beliefs. In the eyes of Machiavelli, Mao failed as a leader in three ways. He wanted to be loved, he was not feared, and he welcomed rebellion. Mao’s army was openly cruel to people who resisted the People’s Republic of China and opposed Mao’s rule. Due to Mao’s Marxist policies, he seemed as if he wanted to be loved by his people. He also had propaganda posted and had children sing praises to him in schools. This is a blunder in the eyes of Machiavelli because in the book “The Prince” Machiavelli states, “Because this is to be asserted in general of men, that they are ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, covetous, as long as you succeed they are yours entirely;” According to Machiavelli, Mao should not be concerned with gifting political power to the proletariat. He should be constantly asserting his power and manipulating his people....
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...facility. As a leader, he mentors and teaches students about astronomy and NASA. But he does more than that. He interacts with other astronomers and astrophysicists throughout the world. Karl Gordon loves the position as a teacher and mentor because of this; because he gets to interact with other people with similar interests as him, and also because it is like “solving a puzzle,” and being aware that you don’t have all the answers. The most rewarding part of his job is seeing the “aha!” moment in his students and seeing them finally understand what he has been teaching them. Although he greatly enjoys this, to him...
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...‘The Prince’, overall, says that a leader should be there in order to make decisions and shouldn’t strive to be loved, but to be feared and respected by subjects and his suggestions are not relevant to our present day lives. In chapter 16, he writes about how someone who is looked up to, should not exercise liberality, since ‘even whilst you exercise it you lose to power to do so, and so become poor or despised’, and later states that liberality would lead the person to being both despised and hated. Although this may have been the ideal for anyone who wanted to be impactful to people, it isn’t relevant to our lives. If a person acted the way Machiavelli is suggesting, it would cause them to be hated. If a person is not open to new ideas and chooses to remain close minded, they might gain supporters for people who share the same ideas, but risk the possibility of being disliked and even hated by many others. Machiavelli states ‘it is wiser to have a reputation for meanness which brings reproach without hatred’, is...
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...2. Is it better to be feared or to be loved? This is quite a hard question because both are good and bad at the same time. But since we have to pick one I think it is better to be feared. When you are a leader or something, not saying you are being a dictator, but just a leader in general you want the people that you are in charge of to listen to you. For example, in my life I have had a coach that was to the point and hammered fundamentals. That it was all work at practice. I didn’t like this coach much because it seemed like all he did was yell and make us run, but wow did he have a good season that year. I also have had a coach that I loved. The whole teamed loved him. As the year went on it was like he was being more of a friend then a coach or a superior figure. We started to mess around at practice and not really listen when he told us to do something because we kind of blew it off like he was joking because most of the time he wasn’t being serious. We did not have a successful year. If you are feared, the people are most likely to do what you ask of them. If you are loved, you might be seen as a push over, and things won’t get done. If I was a coach I would want to be feared. Feared is kind of a harsh term for not being liked, I don’t want the kids to be scared of me, but I don’t want them to see me as their friend. I am their coach and I am there to make them better and to work hard in this particular sport. In today’s society, when you are loved people start becoming...
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...a “training guide” for leaders. There are innumerable detractors to any possible stance or strategy a leader might adopt. As a result of this, all “training” must take place behind closed doors, far from the prying eyes and ears of the news media or the public. But this has not always been the case. The Prince was one of the first humanist works of the Renaissance. Indeed it is a work of art, a literary masterpiece of sorts. Yet this work has been vehemently debated over the centuries and remains one of the most controversial pieces of writing today. (Nederman) Niccolò Machiavelli was brave enough to give the leaders of his day a how-to guide. In this work, The Qualities of a Prince, we are given a point-by-point description of what a leader should do to effectively lead his country. Machiavelli’s philosophy is basically to become a good leader you must do anything even it is immoral and wrong. He first writes that a prince’s duty concerning military matter must always think of war only, even in times of peace. They must know their surroundings exactly so they can defend and make effective strategies to counter the enemy’s attack. They must also know historical battles so they will be able to learn their tactics and improve on it. (Jacobus) Machiavelli explains that, because leadership is obviously a position of command, “war is the only profession which benefits one who commands.” (Jacobus) He goes on to say that, in order to ensure peace, a leader must always be ready for...
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