political principles and the leadership traits

political principles and the leadership traits

Over the years, the political principles and the leadership traits brought to light by Nicolo Machiavelli in his writing; The Prince has generated a diverse range of opinions and controversies in the leadership training programs and political arenas. While some people agree with the opinions and the principles generated throughout the text, others perceive those principles as distasteful. The writing was written when Machiavelli was in the political scene as secretary of seigner during the republican reign, and it aims to help the rulers to extend the lifespan of their kingdom by giving the leadership traits necessary and the effective leadership principles. According to Machiavelli, a leader who tries to be virtuous cannot maintain a kingdom, however for those who do what needs to be done irrespective of being fundamentally evil while maintaining a good appearance can retain their domain. Based on the leadership traits outlaid as essential in The Prince, there arises contract confusion of Machiavellianism and subclinical psychopathy, as Jones denotes due to an overlap in the characteristics generated by the two concepts. In any case, the tenacity of this paper is to discuss more on Machiavelli’s leadership extensively.

Firstly for one to have an understanding of Machiavelli’s leadership, an understanding of his ideas is paramount. Against that background, Machiavellianism encompasses selfishness in planning, lack of remorse, caution, self-interest, manipulation, and deceit. By that token, Machiavelli’s leadership can be said to be based on those traits. As one of his leadership principles denotes that the end justifies the means, highlighting the necessity of attaining achievement in the long run, Machiavelli’s leadership is associated with unethical behaviors and crimes. In this case, based on the personal gains interests that are the leading cause of Machiavellianism, different researches have inference the willingness of the people with this traits in engaging in crimes and unethical behavior as long as they benefit and they are not compromised or affected by the repercussions of these actions. As a result, Machiavelli leaders are indigenous in modeling ethical behavior irrespective of trying to maintain an ethical picture as The Prince guides.

Furthermore, another trait of Machiavellian leadership is based on intelligence, whereby they ought to be intelligent. At this moment, their intelligence can be seen in the decision-making process and context whereby they are intelligent enough to make decisions based on selfish desires. As a result, following the guidance of the prince that the leaders should always be available, their availability is based on the social or financial benefits that they look forward to attaining. Implementing the assertion that leaders should be feared not loved, the leaders with high Mach traits are less likely prone to help others, and that can be seen in the organizations whereby the subordinates are provided with minimal reinforcement and encouragement through the production of bottom line-driven work.

The leadership of any organization, entity, or following plays an integral role in the attainment of the set goals and objectives. Irrespective of the field that they are leading, leaders are responsible for organizing, planning, organizing, and leading their followers. This is to mean that a failure in leadership is an automated failure of the entity or the group that they are leading. On the other hand, effective leaders play a vital role in empowering and motivating others to do their best in all facets. The effectiveness of a leader can be seen through their personality traits. In that light, there are big five personality traits that determine the effectiveness of a leader and therefore, can be applied to determine a leader or otherwise in the highest organizational level as well as help in guiding the interactions and interrelationships of the stakeholders within an organization.

Openness trait focuses on an individual’s ability to learn, and their willingness to try new things, therefore, is based on intellectual, creativity, and curiosity. Leaders with this trait are highly adaptable to change and willing to try new ideas, as a result, they are prone to listening to their subordinates opinions and willing to try them out. Conversely, leaders with low openness traits are like to hesitate while taking risks or implementing new ideas. Neuroticism trait, on the other hand, encompasses anger, depression, anxiety, and vulnerability. In other words the leaders with this trait experience a wide range of unpleasant emotions with minimal allowance for criticism thus providing minimal room for feedback. Agreeableness trait entails of compassion, trust and cooperation towards others. The people with this traits relate well with others and they are likeable. Conscientiousness trait illustrates self-discipline and aim for achievement, thus they are more plan oriented rather than spontaneous arrangements. As a result, leaders with this trait can plan effectively for the attainment of the organizational goals as well as determine the performance range of the organization at a grander scale. Extraversion encompasses of positive energy and emotions, high sociable levels.

Consequently, leaders with this personality trait are effective I their jobs, as they are open to communication. In a nutshell, an individual’s personality trait plays a significant role in determining their behavior and attitudes, thus affecting their relationships with other people. As a result, based on the personality trait of an individual, the effectiveness of their leadership skills can be easily deduced.