I have a soft spot for Machiavelli. He wrote The Prince as a job application and, while every democratically elected politician pretends that he hasn’t studied the master’s work, you can be damn sure that they have. The reason he’s so popular is that he is remarkably accurate when it comes to explaining how people think and act. For that reason I selected him as a Top Ten entry. He is also a brilliant writer, able to sum up attitudes and issues in just a few words, as shown by his quotation on change:
The reformer has enemies in all who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in those who would profit by the new order.
Niccolò Machiavelli
ONE LESSON TO TAKE AWAY
All change involves risk and, while you should always expect and work for success, you must also plan for opposition and obstructions. Do that and you will dramatically improve your chances of success.