Il Principe

Niccolò Machiavelli, in his most famous treatise, Il Principe (The Prince), said, "A wise prince should establish himself on that which is his own control and not in that of others; he must endeavor to avoid hatred... It is best to be both feared and loved; however, if one cannot be both it is better to be feared than loved." As I move forward on this pilot, I realize the value of that 500 year-old advice. -- A good leader must know how to delegate and be willing to ask for help, especially in ares that are not of his or her expertise. -- One can only be judged on actions, not words. We are what we do, not what we say we do. -- Be collaborative and allow others to be heard. But never let that collaboration be misconstrued as authority. There comes a point in the creative process where too many voices begins to ruin the harmony. At that time, the plug has to be pulled on the chatter. -- A show can only have one creative leader, one absolute voice. Anything else, compromises the entire project. Even if it means being a dick, pissing people off and jeopardizing relationships. It must be done to preserve the greater good. -- In essence, a good leader must be strong enough to protect "concerned parties" from themselves.