Machiavelli believed that there were 5 prominent things that defined a good leader. The first of which involved being feared by your people, and to him this was beneficial because if a leader was feared then there was less chance of revolt against him. The next was to be supported by the people as well, because without the people you are essentially powerless. Machiavelli's belief that virtue was also necessary builds on the previous point, seeing that to earn the support of the people you must be liked. The fourth trait or rather decision, is to use your own arms in battles, because hired mercenaries would likely flee before a soldier that is willing to die for his king. The final and most important thing a leader must have is intelligence because without it he could not manage all the previous necessary traits and decisions to be the perfect leader. Someone that fits this description would be Adolf Hitler. The fear factor was there because his troops knew of how mercy less he was on those who opposed him or didn't fit his agenda. But he was seen as virtuous and a great leader by the public when he would rally. He would use the people of his country in battle and they would follow all his commands even through all the unmoral orders. Lastly he was also an intelligent man that rose to power without being a very known or privileged person.
I agree with a few of Machiavelli's opinions but I would add a few different things. First of all I think that being loved would be a better approach in today's society. I think more people would be willing to lay down their lives for you and I think it would lower the amount of revolt in the first place if the people liked their leader. I do however agree completely with the approval of the people and virtue to earn it so those would be my second and third traits to have. Having a military background is also something that should be required for a leader to lead. This is because if you haven't been in a position to put your life on the line for your country, then it would be strange to be in charge of people that are actually out there doing exactly that. For the last and most important trait I agree with Machiavelli again because intelligence is what makes the other traits possible and easily balanced. Someone I think that had these traits was George Washington. He was elected unanimously to be president which showed the strength of his character and how he was liked by the people. This was done by his virtue. He served and even lead battles in the military showing his dedication to the country. Lastly he was intelligent not only when it came to leading the country but also military intelligence for battle tactics.
I really enjoyed reading this because I definitely agree with your thoughts on what makes a good leader. I especially concur that being loved by your people does make a good leader. This is a more agreeable statement because if someone were to go with the fear tactic then there is more of a chance that some people might get together and rebel or seek out assistance. I was curious on what other things besides Machiavelli's philosophy do you think makes a good leader? Does how a person dresses or looks perhaps have a major key on how they are perceived?
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