The Favor of the People: What Library Leaders can Learn from The Prince

Abstract

The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli is as relevant to leaders today as it was when it was written in the 16th Century. The main message of Machiavelli is to keep the people you lead happy. This runs counter to the incomplete and superficial understanding many people have of Machiavelli. The Prince describes six ways to keep people happy: be a good leader and a competent professional, build and maintain relationships with people, stop problems before they start, empower people, have strong values and high standards, and have a vision. This article will briefly explore each of these areas and describe their importance to library leaders.