Course Corrections - Chapter 9 Leading From Reality: Machiavelli’s Lesson for the Modern Business Owner
- John Ekman
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
When business gets offtrack, a small shift can change everything. Course Corrections delivers sharp insights, strategic advice, and real-world stories from the frontlines of business, helping owners navigate with confidence and control.
Chapter Nine
Leading From Reality: Machiavelli’s Lesson for the Modern Business Owner
Introduction |
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There’s a line in Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince that offers a surprising amount of wisdom for today’s business owners:
“The distance between how one lives and how one should live is so great,
that he who abandons what is done for what ought to be done,
will learn his ruin rather than his preservation.”
Written more than 500 years ago during the turbulence of Renaissance Italy, the quote was intended for rulers navigating chaos, uncertainty, and human complexity. Yet it speaks elegantly to a challenge modern business owners face every day.
Not because Machiavelli was cynical, but because he was deeply pragmatic.
History consistently shows that leaders who thrive are those who begin with the world as it is, and then build thoughtfully toward how they want it to be.
This is where his insight becomes a powerful lens for contemporary business leadership.
The Two Worlds Every Business Occupies |
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Every organisation, from a solo operator to a multi-site enterprise, lives in two parallel worlds. Recognising these two realities is the first step toward understanding where your business is thriving and where it may be quietly drifting.
1. The world as it actually operates
Days stitched together by habit
Systems that work “well enough”
Staff doing their best with varying consistency
Decisions made with partial information
A business owner balancing operational reality and strategic intent
2. The world as we imagine it should be
Clear processes
Smooth workflows
Reliable data
Accountable teams
Growth that is steady, deliberate, and well-supported
Both worlds are important.
But the space between them can slowly widen into a chasm.
Understanding these parallel realities is crucial, because it is precisely in the gap between them that risk grows, and opportunity lies.
Why We Drift Toward the Idealised Version |
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Even the most capable leaders are prone to optimism.
We imagine our businesses as smooth, ordered, and fully aligned, yet reality often tells a different story. Understanding why this happens is the first step to bridging the gap.
In modern business, this tendency shows up in simple, relatable ways:
“It’s just a busy patch — we’ll get back on track soon.”
“My team knows what to do; they’ll handle it.”
“The numbers aren’t perfect, but they’re close.”
“I’ll address that issue later — it’s probably fine.”
These thoughts aren’t failures. They are human, and signs of leaders doing their best under pressure.
But Machiavelli’s gentle warning still applies: When we operate from the version of the business we wish existed, the version that actually exists slowly drifts off course.
Recognising this tendency isn’t criticism, it is an invitation.
An invitation to pause, observe, and redirect attention to what is real.
Once we do, the lessons of history show us the path forward.
History’s Most Reliable Pattern: Reality First, Ideals Second |
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Across centuries, from Roman legions to naval expeditions, early statesmen, industrial-era innovators, and modern executive leaders, one truth appears consistently: leaders who endure confront their circumstances honestly, without fear or ego.
Not to judge themselves, not to dwell in the problem, but to understand the landscape so they can move through it with intent.
Commanders counted provisions before planning campaigns
Navigators measured tides and winds before charting new routes
Reformers listened to communities as they were, not as they assumed them to be
Reality has always been the starting point for meaningful progress.
This historical perspective shows that honesty with oneself and one’s business is not weakness; it is the foundation for purposeful action.
The Modern Business Translation |
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For a business owner today, the distinction is simple: operating from reality, not assumption, is the key to sustainable growth.
Leading from the idealised state:
Assuming systems are followed because they “should be”
Expecting staff to consistently behave as trained
Believing processes work simply because they exist
Making decisions with incomplete data
Avoiding challenging issues to keep things calm
Leading from the real state:
Observing what genuinely happens day to day
Understanding staff behaviour without judgement
Spotting friction points and inconsistencies
Seeing where habits have replaced discipline
Grounding decisions in accurate, timely information
This is not negative. It is freeing. It empowers owners to take control, reduce uncertainty, and improve with confidence.
By translating historical lessons into daily business practice, leaders gain understanding and actionable perspective, the tools to navigate challenges and opportunities alike.
The Opportunity in the Gap |
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The gap between reality and ideal isn’t a sign that you’re falling short. It is a sign that your business is alive, developing, and capable of growth.
That space is where improvement lives. It’s where insight becomes action. It’s where capability becomes strength.
Recognising the gap transforms it from a source of stress into a workshop for growth. It becomes a space where leaders refine direction, strengthen operations, and shape the future deliberately.
The key is to see it, embrace it, and act intentionally,
not from judgement, but from opportunity.
A Leadership Shift |
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The key lesson is not to criticise the business or the owner. Effective leadership begins with seeing what is true so you can shape what becomes possible.
To lead effectively, owners need to establish a clear understanding of their baseline — the reality of how the business actually operates.
From this baseline, you gain the ability to:
Observe actual behaviour and identify friction points
Measure performance accurately and act on insights
Align daily operations with long-term intent
Correct course early, before small issues become systemic
This approach isn’t about control for its own sake.
It’s about creating visibility, perspective, and actionable insight, the levers that allow a business to perform consistently and align with agreed standards.
When you lead from reality rather than assumption, the gap between how things are and how you want them to be becomes a measured, manageable pathway, a place of opportunity rather than peril.
The leadership shift is simple in principle but profound in impact: see clearly, act deliberately, and guide your business forward with confidence.
A Modern Reinterpretation of Machiavelli |
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Machiavelli wasn’t urging leaders to abandon ideals. He was reminding them to anchor those ideals in truth.
When we see our business clearly — its patterns, its people, its pressures, and its possibilities — we gain the ability to steer with intention rather than assumption.
History shows that leaders who face reality early
become the ones who shape their future deliberately.
And that is the heart of this course correction:
Businesses do not thrive because everything is perfect.
They thrive because owners choose to navigate with honesty, insight, and purpose.
The moment you look closely — without fear, without self-judgement, and without assumption — is the moment the next stage of growth begins.
If you’d like to explore how seeing your business clearly can unlock new opportunities, consider taking a fresh look at your operations today.
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Till next time, cheers!
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