Classically, Machiavellianism has been seen as a negative trait. To define it briefly, Machiavellianism is a tendency towards intentionally and strategically manipulating others to gain and keep power and control. It is also a part of the Dark Tetrad traits of personality.

However, is there nothing positive to be gleaned from Machiavellianism?

I argue that there are small snippets of lessons that we might learn from this Dark Tetrad trait.

Navigating Through Organizations

In unstructured organizations, Machs seem to have an edge. They do best when they have less management oversight, less regulations, and greater decision-making authority. While this is not an ideal environment – it does show that Machiavellians can navigate through and perhaps benefit from work environments in which there is less discipline.

Moreover, if the individual displays some genuine sincerity, there are higher chances of professional success. Not only that, another aspect of Machiavellianism, ‘planfulness’ also can be beneficial for one’s success. Some research has also indicated that people high in this trait have better political skills.

Political skills, while often considered undesirable, do predict career success in certain situations. This is because workers who possess strong political skills may be able to manage their staff more effectively than through management techniques

Furthermore, Machiavellians tend to do better in marketing occupations, somewhat. Their expertise or confidence while promoting a certain product or service could be invaluable here.

However, there is an important caveat here.

According to Zettler and Solga (2013), work performance and Machiavellianism share a complex relationship. Having a high Machiavellianism level might improve work performance in the short term by creating positive initial impressions or a positive social reputation.

But in the long run, these advantages are countered by manipulative and cynical interpersonal interactions.

Manipulation with Low Cost

The belief in using manipulation to accomplish one’s goals in the workplace, when required, is known as organizational Machiavellianism. People who are at ease taking advantage of others and do it when it suits them are known as organizational Machiavellians.

Manipulation does not always have to be at the cost of the other person.

Instead, people who have high Machiavellian tendencies may also be very flexible and courteous; they are not always vengeful, cruel, or callous.

“(Monarchs) ought, at suitable seasons of the year, entertain the people with festivals and shows” (Machiavelli, p. 61).

Such conduct obviously comes across as courteous and accommodating.

As said earlier, manipulation done with genuine regard might actually portray the individual in a better light.

All without using deceit!

Learning Lessons from the Past

An important part of Machiavellianism is not repeating mistakes of the past. Also, incorporating positive points used previously can only increase your chances for success.

“… as to the mental training of which we have spoken, a prince should read histories, and in these should note the actions of great men, observe how they conducted themselves in their wars, and examine the causes of their victories and defeats, so as to avoid the latter and imitate them in the former.” (Machiavelli, p. 8)

If you disengage your personal cultural or social biases from your strategies you can also be open to try newer things.

This can actually be an adaptive attitude towards everything in life! Conventionally ‘good’ traits or practices can also be taken advantage of, if the person does not apply them smartly.

Competitiveness

According to a study on athletes, Machiavellianism is positively associated with task performance and competitiveness.

If you want to remain in power or gain it, you are likely to view others as your competition. This is, strictly speaking, not a bad thing. Competitiveness can predict better performance in various tasks. And competitiveness is associated with almost all the dark personality traits.

A Word of Caution

With the recent trend towards seeing ‘dark psychology’ as a positive thing, it does seem there are some benefits to it. Taking a look at authors like Robert Greene also would let you know some of the positives.

But there are major caveats to the popular explanation.

Is Machiavellianism Related to Intelligence?

Firstly, it is frequently believed that Machiavellians possess greater intellect. This perception is due to their proficiency in manipulating others, particularly when it comes to social comprehension. However, it is well documented that there is no connection between Machiavellianism and IQ.

One could also make the inference that Machiavellians would be better at interpreting emotions of others. However, here too there has been a negative correlation between Machiavellianism and emotional intelligence (EQ).

Conclusion

Niccolo Machiavelli was primarily concerned with advising rulers on how to best preserve order. He urged rulers to use a variety of actions, only a few of which were dishonest, in order to preserve the necessary order.

As a result, the Machiavellian concept is intrinsically complex.

Machiavelli’s manual translates into the use of dishonesty in the context of contemporary organizations, only when it is required to hold onto power and efficiently manage people.

Consequently, it should be evident that Machiavelli’s recommendations included more acceptable methods in addition to manipulativeness.