In today’s episode, Dr. Gary Gregg covers the next five great leadership lessons of Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince. These lessons include the following: money alone will not incentivize men to make great sacrifices; leaders should care only for war (prepare for war during peace in order to be ready when future troubles arise); leaders should learn how not to be good; it is impossible to obtain a perfect reputation, but one must avoid dangerous epitaphs; and the importance of controlling wealth while still building a reputation of generosity.

Target 5 Reading: Chapters 11-15, pp. 45-62 of Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, Second Edition, Translated and with an Introduction by Harvey C. Mansfield (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998)

Download Dr. Gregg's Guide to The Prince here

Subscribe to our newsletter and receive McConnell Center updates directly in your mailbox

Please share any thoughts, questions, comments, or concerns with us via email at connor.tracy@louisville.edu

This podcast is a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville. For more information, including upcoming events, please visit us online at mcconnellcenter.org or on social media at:

Facebook: @mcconnellcenter 

Instagram: @ulmcenter 

Twitter: @ULmCenter

Intro: Natalie Smith, McConnell Center Civic Education Coordinator 

Host: Dr. Gary L. Gregg II, McConnell Center Director

Producer: Connor Tracy, McConnell Center SBS Coordinator