Good day Henry and thank you for accepting my invitation to an e-interview.

Norm

What was your objective in writing your book and whom did you feel would best profit from reading it?

Henry

My objective in writing The Corporate Prince was simply to transform The Prince into a form that would be easier for businessmen to read. I was convinced Machiavelli had some important things to say to modern businessmen, but that they were not reading him because the applicability of his wisdom to the business world is not self evident, and businessmen have neither the time nor the patience to wade through The Prince to dig out the nuggets of wisdom buried in it. I think the people who would most benefit from reading The Corporate Prince are senior managers in corporations and business students who hope some day to join the ranks senior management.

Norm

If Machiavelli returned today, do you believe he would agree with your transformation of his principles? Why?

Henry

Yes, I think Machiavelli would approve of what I have done in The Corporate Prince because I have changed his principles only superficially. When writing the book I worked very hard to retain the essence of Machiavelli's thinking, and I believe I was successful in most cases. However, I suspect Machiavelli would be astonished and possibly amused that his little book is still attracting attention after almost 500 years. After all, he was not trying to produce a classic. He just wanted a job, and he thought his book might help him land it.

Norm

Do you believe that many of the principles expounded upon in your book can be applied to other situations such as personal relations, social institutions, etc

Henry

I doubt that many of the principles set forth in The Corporate Prince (or The Prince) would be applicable to personal relationships. Generally the principles deal with how leaders of large institutions like corporations and governments should deal with their competitors and followers (i.e., subjects or employees). The principles do not really apply to more intimate relationships. If by social institutions you mean churches, labor unions, professional associations, etc., I think many of the principles would apply. Machiavelli based his principles on his observations of the interrelationships of leaders of competing states (institutions) and of the relationship of leaders with their followers, and most those principles apply to any large organization.

Norm Should your book be required reading for business teachers, business students and investors, and why?

Henry

My book definitely should be studied by business teachers and students. Just as no English major can be considered educated if he is not familiar with Shakespeare, and no physics major can be considered educated if he is not familiar with Newton, no business major can be considered educated if he is not familiar with Machiavelli, and The Corporate Prince was written specifically to bring Machiavelli alive for serious students of the business world. The importance of the book to investors is less clear-cut. It would probably help investors understand why some business leaders succeed and others fail, but the average investor has a hard time learning enough about corporate leaders to know their true personalities before making an investment. As a rule, investors do not learn whether or not a CEO has the ""right stuff"" until after the fact. For example, while Lee Iacocca was quite successful as President (second in command) of Ford, he had never been a CEO before taking over Chrysler, so no one could predict how astonishingly successful he would be at Chrysler.

Norm Someone who is not familiar with the world of business may get the impression that many of the principles outlined in your book are devious. Do you agree or disagree and why?

Henry

Machiavelli's reputation for encouraging deviousness is undeserved. While he did advise leader to study and learn from the wily fox, most of his principals and recommendations are very straightforward and in no way promote underhanded actions. As I discuss in the Epilogue of my book, I think Machiavelli's primary message to leaders was that they should strive always to be pro active--in other words, to seize and keep the initiative. He had little respect for passive leaders who were constantly on the defensive, always reacting. More than deviousness, he favored boldness.

Thank You Henry. Review of Book