The Ideal Leaders Qualities - Essay Example

The philosopher believes that a real leader should be cunning as diplomacy as well as war needs this quality. Machiavelli also stresses that rulers should be compassionate but cruel whenever it is necessary. The thinker states that the leader should “desire to be considered clement and not cruel” but he also “ought to take care not to misuse this clemency” (Machiavelli 40). Of course, leaders should be compassionate, which usually results in people’s support. However, to maintain order in the country, it is often important to display a certain degree of cruelty to make people respect and even fear the leader.

In conclusion, it is possible to note that Machiavelli stresses that the leader should be able to keep the balance between strength and craft, cruelty and compassion. According to the philosopher, the ruler will be able to gain the respect and support of his people if he can use force, show compassion, keep the word, and even be able to use craft, as the consequence is more important than the tools used.