In it Public ambit, It is very common for presidents of the Republic, governors, municipal presidents, senators, deputies, party leaders, among others, to appoint some people as advisors. Although not all bosses like to be told things in a crude manner, as happens in reality. Usually, these types of leaders like to be sweet-talked, instead of their advisors alerting them to the inconveniences of certain circumstances or adverse phenomena that they encounter in the future. economic, social or political environment which at a given moment can affect them if they do not make the best and most timely decisions.
In contrast, we see people who formally act as advisors, but in practice behave as simple sycophants. Although in the work The Prince, Machiavelli would call them flatterers. We have already dealt with this type of individuals, regarding whom we have stated that, for the first to function as such (advisors), these must be truly prepared, experienced, cultured, autonomous, genuinely honest people with a deep common sense. But not conceited or arrogant people like some powerful politicians with certain studies who actually demonstrate ignorance as well as arrogance.
We have also said that, for those being advised to be truly successful as rulers or high-ranking officials or leaders, they must not only be interested in being “sweet-talked” as is often the case in the political arena. On the contrary, they must carefully consider what the true advisors present to them with reasoned arguments, with the aim of suffering the least possible damage after making a decision. To do this, advisors, in addition to possessing the above characteristics, must perfectly master the internal and external context of the relevant matter and function authentically as such and not as flatterers.
About the latter, we have already mentioned that, a little over five hundred years ago, Niccolo Machiavelli wrote in his famous classic work called The Prince, whose chapter XXIII states: “How to Flee from Flatterers”. In it, despite being a little over five centuries old, practically all his reflections are still valid, since the aforementioned human nature continues to be the same for thousands of years, despite the fact that today we find ourselves in the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution. In the aforementioned chapter, Machiavelli begins with a kind of preamble that says: “I do not want to overlook an important matter, and that is the fault that princes easily fall into if they are not very prudent or do not know how to choose well.” He then refers to flatterers, who abound in all parts of the world, in Mexico and, of course, here in Sinaloa we also see them today.
The above is useful to keep in mind in the public sector, so that rulers or leaders do not incur in self-deception to govern a “principality” or brotherhood, be it a municipality, state or nation, taking into account that this kind of people – the flatterers or sycophants – abound everywhere and, “because men are pleased with their own works” – said Machiavelli -; in such a way that they deceive themselves; and do not manage to defend themselves from that calamity, and when they want to do so, “they expose themselves to the danger of becoming despicable,” like some who are out there, the author of reference tells us, as it happens at this moment, since rulers or leaders prefer flatterers or sycophants or “friends”, relatives or acquaintances to form their “team” of work or thieves, instead of selecting people with their own criteria, honest, knowledge and deep command of things, and of the entire context that surrounds the public. Above all, you need to be very mentally sharp and have the aforementioned common sense.
These are the real advisors, not the flatterers or sycophants who usually have a personal interest. And for this reason they do not advise in an authentic way, but instead, they sink their advisor and dig their own political grave just to protect their temporary position. Although there are also some advisors who feel like leaders or directors. These are doubly dangerous.
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