A scene from Columbia Chinese Students Club’s 2019 Night Market. Planning this event was an incredibly formative experience for me as a student leader. Photo credit: Cecilia Guan.
Throughout your year in Contemporary Civilizations (CC), you are exposed to, amongst other topics, perspectives on what ‘good’ civil society looks like, what ‘good’ government looks like, and what ‘good’ leaders look like. One of the main reasons why I enjoyed CC so much came from this ability to draw connections between the texts I engaged with and their relevance (or lack thereof) to everyday reality. This sentiment was abundantly clear for me after reading The Prince by Machiavelli. Colloquially, someone described as Machiavellian is manipulative, willing to cross moral boundaries in order to attain power. Reading the actual textual basis for these culturally significant ideas enabled me to refine my understanding of what kind of leader Machiavelli conceptualized. The conclusion I reached was that the traits of a Machiavellian leader were absolutely not the characteristics I would personally choose to embody. So, what can take away from this CC text to inform how we develop our leadership style and become stronger Columbia student leaders?
“Ends Justify the Means”
Let’s say that your club or organization has an upcoming event that will require a large amount of hands-on collaboration and communication, and the event-planning process will largely take place during midterms season. As the group’s leader, you might desire to get this event done as efficiently and as early as possible, having your team front-load the work and be strictly on-track leading up to the event. Although this preparation is not a bad thing to consider, Machiavelli would argue that you should ignore any considerations about the burden placed on your team and focus on the end product. He would insist that leaders should always willing to do what needs to be done even if these actions are at the expense of others. As a student leader, this cost-benefit analysis is quite terrifying because being cognizant of your team’s current capabilities and well-being is an essential part of producing a product you all willingly contributed to and are proud of. At the end of the day, being solely goal-oriented and treating your team as expendable irreparably damage an organization’s morale and culture. A club or student organization is just one facet of a student’s life. Leaders should never cause harm for the sake of a club that people voluntarily join.
“Would Rather Be Feared Than Loved”
Let’s say that you have planned a club meeting far in advance. On the day of, a team member texts you and says they have too much homework and cannot make the meeting. Do you insist they push aside their homework because this meeting is too critical to miss and that they have already promised to come? Machiavelli would probably say yes. He would likely suggest threatening punishment and repercussions too to ensure this team member never acts like that again. Student leaders, please do not do this. Part of being an empathetic, likeable student leader is understanding that students are in the process of building and refining their time management skills. You can help your members develop while still acknowledging that unexpected circumstances happen to everyone. Students see clubs as one of the main ways to build friendships and meet people with shared interests. A culture of fear in your student organization leads only to resentment and withdrawal. A good leader keeps in perspective that many members will probably not be engaged in these kinds of activities long-term, but what they do take away are the relationships and memories they foster when there is mutual respect between older and younger club members.
“Have a Gun with at Least One Bullet”
Let’s say some of your organization members have forgotten to do a task that they committed to doing. Machiavelli would suggest making an example out of one of these ‘slackers.’ He would advise that a leader must always be willing to demonstrate that they mean business and will cut someone off if they deviate from that plan. I would strongly advise student leaders to take a more inclusive, compassionate approach to leadership. A good student leader does not treat any member as non-essential. If a member does not feel supported or welcomed on your team, why would they stay? Who would want you to lead if they lived in fear of your consequences? Your members should want to contribute because of a personally established commitment to do so, not because they were coerced into it by fear. As an alternative to this piece of Machiavellian advice, I would suggest making these moments of tension teachable moments for all, including yourself.
Conclusion
Being a student leader is a unique position during your life because it might be the first time you experience a real opportunity to take charge of a team and create change. How you relate with your members can radically transform the dynamics and outcomes of that experience. I hope this post encourages you to reflect on what kind of leader you want to be remembered as.