The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli (English translation by N.H. Thomson)

This literary classic is one of the most influential book ever written and for good or for worse, the name Machiavelli is synonymous with unscrupulousness, deviousness, and cruelty. For me, one have to understand the circumstances and time in which Machiavelli lives and I admire Machiavelli for his honesty about the subject. Are we a hypocrite if we label Machiavelli as unscrupulous and cruel even though we know that human beings are capable of such deeds? Anyway, the book is a must read even if it is just to understand how the term Machiavellian measures came about. As for passing judgement on Machiavelli, I will leave it to each individuals. For me, I am guided by the following quote:

"Emerge from the mud untainted; understand cunning but do not use it" - A Ming-dynasty writer.

The book does offer some relevant insights for management:

1) Injuries, therefore, should be inflicted all at once, that their ill savour being less lasting may the less offend; whereas benefits should be conferred little by little, that so they may be more fully relished (Same as restructuring, all painful measures must be quick and effective. After that, assures everyone that the company is on the right path and so that staff won't be at the edge of fear and not productive. This is usually difficult because we tends to delay making difficult decisions and this often prolongs the pain. This is a dillema because we sometimes tend to label decisive leaders who make quick but painful decision as heartless and cruel!)

2) He must therefore keep his mind ready to shift as the winds and tides of Fortune turn, and, as I have already said, he ought not to quit good courses if he can help it, but should know how to follow evil courses if he must (Again, a good leader is someone who remains unwavering towards his goal and at the same time, able to make difficult and painful decisions if he/she needs to)

3) As to how a Prince is to know his Minister, this unerring rule may be laid down. When you see a Minister thinking more of himself than of you, and in all his actions seeking his own ends, that man can never be a good Minister or that you can trust (Can this statement be applicable to selecting/promoting staff to management level? Can it be rewritten as follows? When you see an employee thinking more of himself than of the company/people he lead, and in all his actions seeking his own ends, that man can never be a good leader/manager or that you can trust)

This is only a simple summary and I will leave you with the following quote which I read from a newspaper article and I find it inspiring in how we should conduct ourselves:

"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him" - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe