It's that time of year, baby! March Madness is in full swing. What will it take to succeed? Talent, experience, confidence, defensive efficiency and strong leadership are key. On this, both players and coaches alike might be well-advised to take some tips from the great sixteenth-century political strategist, Niccolò Machiavelli.
Sounds strange, right? But some of the same strategies of warfare and statecraft that Machiavelli prescribes can be successfully applied on the court. Consider:
1. Divide and Conquer
In The Prince and his other political works, Machiavelli offers concrete advice on how to wage a successful war. In particular, he advises that a leader “ought to endeavor to divide the forces of the enemy, either by making him suspicious of his men…or by giving him cause…to separate his forces and, because of this, become weaker.”
Similarly, in basketball as in war, a strong offense simply isn’t enough. Defensive efficiency is key, especially for potential Cinderella teams that lack the talent and depth of top programs. And since there's not many obviously dominant squads this year, there will be plenty of opportunities for havoc-wreaking teams to upset top-seeds by “dividing and conquering” their forces and forcing mistakes, as Machiavelli would advise, and turning those errors into buckets.
2. Cultivate Machiavellian Virtú.
In The Prince, Machiavelli refers to his central concept of virtú. Unlike the modern term “ virtue" that connotes moral goodness, virtú, for Machiavelli, is the essential quality, the touchstone, of political and military success.
In particular, the concept entails the idea of a tremendous inner fortitude to overcome even the most formidable opposition and embraces such traits as boldness, bravery, foresight, flexibility, ingenuity, action and decisiveness. And these very same traits, as Machiavelli would advise, are also critical for success on the court.
3. Before Deciding upon Any Course, Consider the Perils and Dangers it Presents
With the shot-clock ticking off in high-stakes games, players often take perilous shots. That’s what makes the games so maddening when high-risk shots do or don’t pay off. So what’s a young player under pressure to do?
“Before deciding upon any course,” Machiavelli cautions, “men should consider the dangers it presents, and if its perils exceed the advantages, they should avoid it, even though it had been in accordance with their previous determination.”
In other words, if the perils of a high-risk shot exceed its advantages, players should avoid it at all costs. It’s all about poise under pressure, as Machiavelli advises, and clarity of thought.
4. Study the Actions of Illustrious Men
To succeed on the battlefield, Machiavelli advises that “men ought to study…the actions of illustrious men to see how they have borne themselves in war, to examine the causes of their victories and defeat, so as to avoid the latter and imitate the former.”
In other words, both princes and players would be well-advised to study the actions of past champions. That might seem so obvious you might dismiss it. But, as Machiavelli would admonish, those teams that fail to do so are doomed.
5. It is Better to be Feared than Loved
In one of his most widely maligned maxims, Machiavelli advises that “it is best to be both feared and loved, but because it is difficult to unite them in one person, it is safer to be feared than loved.”
Nowhere does Machiavelli’s brutal realism come out more clearly than here. But he’s talking about loyalty and obedience, and he backs this up by saying that “men have less scruple in offending one who is beloved than one who is feared, for love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.”
Here again, Machiavelli’s advice can be applied on the court. Consider Bob Knight, who is not only one of the winningest coaches in collegiate basketball, but also inspired the loyalty and even “love" of his players.
Why? Because, despite his bullying tactics, he cared deeply about his players and the game — and consistently leading his teams to victory by any means that paid off. And what, I ask, could be more Machiavellian than that?
Suzy Evans, J.D., Ph.D. is the literary agent, attorney and author who holds a Ph.D. in history from UC Berkeley. Her most recent books include Machiavelli for Moms (Simon & Schuster). and Forgotten Crimes: The Holocaust and People with Disabilities
