Leadership is an important element in the fulfillment of visions and the accomplishment of goals. The Italian political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) argued that effective leadership requires the leader to maintain strict control over his or her followers. Machiavelli also argued that leaders should not be limited by the conventional ideas of morality. In some cases, it may be necessary for a leader to "enter into evil" in order to be sure that goals get accomplished. In modern times, an example of successful leadership can be seen in Walt Disney (1901-1966). The company founded by Disney is known for its achievements in cartooning, film and television. Disney also established the world-famous Disneyland amusement park. Walt Disney's public image is that of a nice, kindly leader. However, the evidence shows that he was often quite tough in his leadership style. This raises the question of the extent to which Disney's approach to leadership can be compared to the approach recommended by Machiavelli. This paper will discuss Disney's leadership style and will argue that his approach was indeed Machiavellian, although not in a strongly negative way.
In his essay, "The Qualities of the Prince," Machiavelli claimed that people will not follow a leader's vision unless the leader manipulates and controls them. In Machiavelli's view, the leader's role is to be sure that things get accomplished. This is more important than anything else. Thus, the leader should be prepared to do whatever it takes, even if it means "entering into evil" from time to time. Machiavelli also argued that good leadership involves a mixture of fear and love. According to this view, the best style of leadership is one in which people love and fear the leader at the same time. Machiavelli further claimed that, of these two qualities, fear is the most important one. People will follow a leader if they fear him, even if they do not love him. However, M...