“To have a good enemy, choose a friend: he knows where to strike.” — Diane de Poitiers The Architecture of Betrayal This quote is a brutal piece of strategic realism. It contains a truth that every strategist and aspiring leader must internalize: your greatest risk is often internal, not external. The danger in a … Read more
“The arrow shot by the archer may or may not kill a single person. But stratagems devised by wise men can kill even babes in the womb.” — Kautilya (Chanakya), Arthashastra The Ancient Indian Blueprint for Statecraft Kautilya, the philosopher-kingmaker behind India’s Mauryan Empire over 2,300 years ago, is often called the “Indian Machiavelli” for … Read more
“Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good. Hence a prince who wants to keep his authority must learn how not to be good, and use that knowledge, or refrain from using it, as necessity requires.” — Niccolò Machiavelli, … Read more