Machiavelli’s assertion of cunning manipulation (“princes who have accomplished great deeds are those who have . . . known how to cunningly manipulate men’s minds . . . in the end they have surpassed those who laid their foundations upon sincerity” ) is evident within Gillard’s time as Prime Minister, during meetings, using her words as her weapon and conveying her persona with deadly content. She excelled at non-hierarchical, consensual leadership as well as being an experienced negotiator. Passing over 500 bills during her time in office, made her the most productive Prime Minister with a rate of 0.495, compared to John Howard at 0.452 and Kevin Rudd at 0.374 , emphasizing her audaciousness among her political rivals. Additionally, in her autobiography, ‘My Story’, Gillard writes “Every Prime Minister in the modern age must show fortitude in the face of a crushing, constant workload, a relentless often negative media, and many road blocks to policy change” , explaining in a modern sense, exactly what Machiavelli was expressing in The Prince; in order to withstand the pressures of government a leadership must be cunning and strong, a force incapable of being
Machiavelli’s assertion of cunning manipulation (“princes who have accomplished great deeds are those who have . . . known how to cunningly manipulate men’s minds . . . in the end they have surpassed those who laid their foundations upon sincerity” ) is evident within Gillard’s time as Prime Minister, during meetings, using her words as her weapon and conveying her persona with deadly content. She excelled at non-hierarchical, consensual leadership as well as being an experienced negotiator. Passing over 500 bills during her time in office, made her the most productive Prime Minister with a rate of 0.495, compared to John Howard at 0.452 and Kevin Rudd at 0.374 , emphasizing her audaciousness among her political rivals. Additionally, in her autobiography, ‘My Story’, Gillard writes “Every Prime Minister in the modern age must show fortitude in the face of a crushing, constant workload, a relentless often negative media, and many road blocks to policy change” , explaining in a modern sense, exactly what Machiavelli was expressing in The Prince; in order to withstand the pressures of government a leadership must be cunning and strong, a force incapable of being