The Machiavellian Engineer

News from the corporate world is often gloomy-with headlines featuring mass layoffs, hiring freezes, wage stagnation, employee burnout and much more. Most accept this as a new normal and few question it, let alone try to find solutions. If you are one of multitudes who observe that the workplace has descended into chaos, don't just stand by and watch in horror. Try reading Max Cavelli's book where he relates the modern corporate world with medieval Europe in Niccolo Machiavelli's times.

Max puts on a Machiavellian lens and examines how many problems in the modern workplace are the result of corporate leaders focused on maximizing profits. The book isn't a socialist project and doesn't lambast capitalism, but rather, uses a Machiavellian approach to flip the argument and ask how engineers can survive-even thrive-in companies where profit has priority over employee wellbeing.

Surprisingly, if engineers embrace Machiavellian tactics, feasible solutions appear.