Machiavelli’s Prince is relevant for today’s corporate warriors

I have first read The Prince when I was too young to understand the masterpiece. I knew it was great, I felt it, but I just didn’t comprehend it’s true value until I read it again last month. I loved every single page of this sparse little book, written some centuries ago, for kings and princes warring and feuding on a daily basis. The book was meant to be a survival guide for those potentates whose lives are in peril every single day of their existence. A visionary, and an extremely crafty statesman, Machiavelli has condensed his wisdom into a short book, which he fondly dedicated to Lorenzo Di Piero De’ Medici, an Italian king during his time.

What struck me most was the fact that the book is surprisngly adaptable to the modern day competitve world. We may not be fighting using swords and armies, but we are still fighting with each other on a day to day basis. It is especially true in the corporate world, where executives have to stuggle to maintain market shares, margins, and always strive to be one step ahead of the competition. I think that, executives and industry leaders are the modern day equivalents of Machiavelli’s feuding princes, and hence, the strategies outlined in this book can be successfully applied by them to survive the hostile corporate terrain and achieve extaordinary and lasting success.

I suggest that you should pick up a copy and cherish this time tested masterpiece. Even if you are not inspired by the book as much as I was, I guarantee you that it will be one hell of a read. It will be a great lesson in medival Italian history, and if understood properly, an even better lesson in strategic planning and execution, a must-have skill for today’s corporate warriors.