Machiavelli Essay, Research Paper

A great leader is someone who appears to be priceless. Great leader is the main example of his people; he should have the characteristics of higher standards therefore developing his followers into something better. Extraordinary leaders need to have communication skills to understand what the followers expect from him. “You serve as an influential role model for your players and everything you do will be watched. Vince Lombardi says, “Leaders are made, they are not born; and they are made just like anything else has every been made in this country – by hard work.”" (Sugarman).

Great leader must be seen as being great not actually being one. Machiavelli suggests this idea in D1. To seem to have the qualities is necessary as opposed to having the qualities without the people knowing about them. This is true for all leaders not just political. D1 suggests flexibility is needed, “? but you must have the mind so disposed that when it is needful to be otherwise you may be able to change to the opposite qualities.” Flexibility is important; the leader all in all has to give the people what they want satisfying the majority. D1 says that great leaders are sometimes obligated to do evil if constrained without deviating from what is good (if possible), “? being often obligated, in order to maintain the state, to act against faith, against charity?”

Communication and timing are important. Great leaders are great when they get something across to the followers that the followers want to hear, there is a clear understanding from both sides. “The great leader is a master in the art of communication. He or she is aware of the strong need for actions to match words. Leaders need to possess a willingness to listen to input with an open mind.” (Sugarman), “Leadership is about building connections. Effective leaders make people feel they have a stake in common problems.” (Goodwin). Great leaders are good with timing; “Timing is (almost) everything. Knowing when to introduce an initiative, when to go before one’s constituents — and when to hold off — is a crucial skill.” (Goodwin).

Leaders must care about their people (and of course show them that they care): “A leader who does not hesitate before he sends his nation into battle is not fit to be a leader” (a quote of Golda Meir) (Spanoudis). This sets an example for the followers to care about their leader too.

“Everybody sees what you appear to be?,” says D1, implying that appearance is important. Appearance is a major factor of being a great leader. The leader knows he is judged by his appearance therefore he tries to appear as expected. D1 also says, “A prince must take great care that nothing goes out of his mouth which is not full of the above-named five qualities?”. The people judge by what they see and by what they hear, most do not feel what their leader is, everybody sees what he appears to be?

Great leaders excel in the art of communication, timing, installing confidence, and showing credibility on a consistent basis. To possess only good qualities as a leader is dangerous; the leader sometimes has to do harm if constrained to do so in order to maintain his state. A great leader must be intelligent and hardworking, set examples and appear as what the people want him to be!

Bibliography

Goodwin, Doris Kearns. (1998). Lessons of Presidential Leadership.

[Online]. Available at:

http://www.pfdf.org/leaderbooks/L2L/summer98/goodwin.html

Spanoudis, Stephen L. The Quotations Home Page – Great Leaders.

[Online]. 1994. Available at:

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/2012/quote-3b.html

Sugarman, K. (2000, January 7). Leadership Characteristics. [Online].

Available at: http://www.psywww.com/sports/leader.htm