[One Thousand Characters a Day] The Principles of Leadership Conveyed by 'Gunjuron' <2>

Editor's NoteIn the medieval era when morality was understood as justice, there was a person who said that a ruler must maintain power by any means necessary. That person was Niccol? Machiavelli. He wished for his homeland, Florence, to survive amidst the surrounding great powers and become strong again. The book embodying his wish is The Prince. The Prince is the first political philosophy book that separated politics from morality and religion, and can also be seen as a self-help book dealing with how individuals can overcome limits by strengthening their capabilities rather than being swayed by fate. It is also a textbook on leadership and organizational management that deals with how emerging organizations can grow in a highly competitive environment. Word count: 968.

Therefore, those who become rulers with the support of the common citizens must always keep them as friends. Since common citizens desire nothing more than not to be oppressed, it is easy for a ruler to govern them. However, those who become rulers with the support of the powerful must first and foremost make the common citizens their allies. This is also easy for the ruler, as they only need to protect them well. Humans tend to feel more responsible to those from whom they receive kindness, especially if they once believed that person would harm them; thus, they will act even more favorably toward the ruler than when the ruler gained power with the support of the common citizens. There are various ways to win the hearts of the common citizens. However, since the methods differ depending on the situation, it is impossible to provide clear rules, so I will not discuss this issue. I will only conclude that the ruler must make the common citizens friends. Otherwise, when difficulties arise, there will be no way to respond.

(Omitted)

In times of crisis, the ruler does not have time to seize absolute power. This is because citizens and subjects, accustomed to receiving orders from high officials, are not prepared to take orders from the ruler in emergencies. And in uncertain times, trustworthy people will always be scarce. The ruler must not be satisfied with the phenomenon that occurs in peaceful times, that is, when citizens are content with the state. In peaceful times, citizens voluntarily come running, everyone promises loyalty, and when death seems far away, they say they are ready to die for the ruler. However, when true hardship comes, that is, when the state needs its citizens, almost all such people disappear. Testing this is very dangerous because it can only be done once. Therefore, a wise ruler must devise ways to make citizens need the state and the ruler in any situation. Then they will always be loyal.

- Niccol? Machiavelli, The Prince, translated by Choi Hyun-joo, supervised and annotated by Kim Sang-geun, Page2Books, 17,000 KRW

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