The Machiavelli: The Art of Politics in Business Book

Ignore the latest buzz about the kinder, gentler world of new age, team-based management. It's dog-eat-dog out there. The sooner you realize it, the better. Is it necessary to be a ruthless tyrant in order to succeed in business? Are excesses of cruelty and dishonesty required to further a company's interests? Absolutely, says Niccolo Machiavelli. For centuries Machiavelli's The Prince has inspired spirited debate. To some it is a political primer in ruthlessness. To others, it is a pragmatic treatise on the methods necessary to succeed in a world of treason, ambition, and ego. And now, it is one of the most compelling business books ever. The New Machiavelli mines The Prince for the timeless rules and stratagems that can help today's business rulers survive and prosper in the jungle of greed and treachery that is commerce. Alistair McAlpine enriches Machiavelli's text with scenarios from modern business, offering keen new insight into what motivates people. McAlpine, a business leader and former advisor to Margaret Thatcher, has taken the lessons Machiavelli preached, added new perspectives gained from his firsthand knowledge of business and power politics, and applied them to modern business practices. He outlines how to deal with the political minefield within the corporate fortress, including the whims of employee subjects and the mandates of stockholders. And he offers tactics for forging alliances and staring down the threat of emerging marauders competing for your market share. In the fifteenth century, those who did not conform to their proprietor's will might meet with the ax. Today, employees are thankfully not beheaded, but the way an employer deals with a disgruntled worker can be crucial to the company's survival, according to McAlpine. He explains how to maneuver around the different types of characters found in all businesses--the able lieutenant, the obliging employee--with a fascinating look into human nature. This book is not for the average employee. The New Machiavelli is a guide for those courageous individuals who are prepared to accept the burden of responsibility and are ready to take the risks necessary to win the war fought on the battlefields of commerce. Fail to read it at your peril. Alistair McAlpine has witnessed power politics first hand at the side of Margaret Thatcher, serving as the Treasurer and Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party as well as a close advisor to Thatcher during her election campaigns. He is director of his family construction firm, Sir Robert McAlpine and Sons, Ltd. A regular columnist for the Spectator and Mail on Sunday, McAlpine is also the author of The Servant. He resides in London and Venice.