One of the most misunderstood ideas in The Prince appears near the end of Machiavelli’s discussion of King Louis XII of France. It’s short, almost casual, but it’s one of the most important strategic lessons in the entire book:

“He who is the cause of another becoming powerful is ruined.”

At first glance, this sounds cynical. Or paranoid. Or manipulative.

It’s none of those things.

It’s a statement about power dynamics, not morality. And once you see it clearly, you start noticing it everywhere: in business, in partnerships, in families, in organizations, and in your own life.

What Machiavelli actually meant

Machiavelli wasn’t warning against helping others. He was warning against creating power you can no longer control.

King Louis XII entered Italy strong. He had allies. He had influence. He had leverage. And then, step by step, he made three critical errors:

• He strengthened the Church by helping it gain territory
• He brought Spain into Italy as a co-ruler rather than acting alone
• He eliminated smaller allies who depended on him for protection

Each move seemed reasonable in isolation. Together, they were fatal.

Louis didn’t lose Italy because he was weak.
He lost Italy because he created stronger forces than himself, and then removed the buffers that once protected him.

That’s the lesson.

Power created through your actions doesn’t remain loyal to you. Once someone becomes strong enough, they stop needing you. And when interests diverge, they turn.

Not because they’re evil.
Because that’s how incentives work.

This isn’t about manipulation. It’s about leverage.

A common mistake when reading Machiavelli is assuming he’s teaching people how to manipulate others. He’s not.

He’s teaching how power actually behaves when humans are involved.

People rarely betray out of malice.
They betray when they no longer need alignment.

The moment someone can replace you, override you, or outgrow your influence, the relationship changes — whether anyone acknowledges it or not.

Understanding that isn’t cynical. It’s realistic.

How this shows up in real life

Once you understand this principle, you start seeing the pattern everywhere.

Partnerships

You build something with someone. You provide the structure, the opportunity, the credibility. Over time, they gain confidence, access, and leverage.

If their growth outpaces their alignment with you, the partnership fractures. Sometimes quietly. Sometimes violently.

Not because you “did something wrong,” but because the balance shifted.

Work and leadership

You train someone. You give them visibility. You hand them authority. But you don’t establish boundaries, accountability, or alignment.

Eventually, they challenge you, undermine you, or replace you. Often while insisting they’re being “fair” or “just honest.”

They’re not villains. They’re simply acting on incentives you helped create.

Family dynamics

This principle is uncomfortable here, but it applies.

When one person gains emotional, financial, or narrative power inside a family, they often use it to dominate, rewrite history, or control outcomes.

Trying to “reason” with that power rarely works. Once leverage exists, logic becomes optional.

Boundaries matter more than intentions.

Personal life

Even on an individual level, this applies internally.

If you outsource your confidence, your stability, or your decision-making to someone else, you are giving them power over your life.

When that relationship changes — and it often does — you pay the price.

How this applies to business and marketing (briefly)

This principle is everywhere in modern business:

• Companies becoming dependent on platforms they don’t control
• Agencies training clients to replace them
• Founders giving away strategic authority too early
• Teams becoming powerful without being aligned

The pattern is always the same:

Capability grows faster than loyalty.
Power grows faster than trust.
Leverage disappears.

The result is predictable.

The real takeaway

Machiavelli isn’t telling you to hoard power or keep others weak.

He’s telling you to be conscious of what kind of power you’re creating, who benefits from it, and whether your position remains secure once that power exists.

Good strategy isn’t about domination.
It’s about durability.

If a relationship only works while someone needs you, that relationship must be structured carefully — or it will eventually collapse.

My personal view

I don’t see strategy as manipulation. I see it as clarity.

Clear thinking prevents resentment.
Clear boundaries prevent conflict.
Clear structures prevent betrayal.

Ignoring power dynamics doesn’t make you moral.
It makes you vulnerable.

Understanding them doesn’t make you cynical.
It makes you prepared.

These are the same strategic lenses I apply in leadership, in life, and in my professional work. Not to control people — but to avoid unnecessary damage, instability, and regret.

That’s the lesson Machiavelli was really teaching.

And it’s just as relevant today as it was 500 years ago.