If Napoleon Was Living Today, He Would Excel As A Businessman!

 The world in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds was very different from the world today. But that does not mean that people who succeeded at that time, will have difficulty living in the world today. In my opinion, people who survived the seventeen and eighteen hundreds would actually do better in this world than we are doing currently. I certainly believe that if Napoleon Bonaparte was living today, we would know him as one of the best businessmen of the modern era. I know most of you must be thinking in your heads, 'how could Napoleon be a businessman? He was never taught to be a businessman, and being a successful emperor in one era is not the same as being a successful businessman in a completely different era.' These questions are legitimate and I would have thought the same way too had I not read thoroughly about Napoleon Bonaparte. I was always curious why Napoleon is considered the second most popular figure in history? After Jesus Christ, Napoleon is the most important historical figure in the world. I wanted to learn how he became a great leader and how he made France one of the most powerful nations during his reign. After reading several articles on Napoleon, I just didn’t acknowledge him as a great leader, I came to a conclusion, that if he was living today, he would be a very successful businessman.

Before I mention the examples of Napoleon's leadership traits, which he used to rule his empire and which I believe could make him a successful businessman in today's world, let's talk about the important qualities needed to become a good businessman. To be a successful businessman you need to have confidence in yourself and be self-driven. You also need to be committed to your goals. Need to have knowledge of your position. You should be willing to take calculated-risks to get to the next step. Also, you need to have a good character. Finally, you need people in your business who you could trust and who could help grow your business. Now let's see if Napoleon possessed these qualities or not.

 During the reign of Napoleon, one of the hottest and most controversial subjects across the country was the change in the political system. Napoleon wanted France to transition from a republic to an empire. For this idea, he faced a lot of criticism and hatred, even from the Elites (a group consisted of old nobility and bourgeoisie). General population had mixed feelings for this plan of Napoleon's. One would think that Napoleon with his such small body frame, could have easily been intimidated by a big group of people to change his plan and do as they desire. However, he stayed determined, stood with his plan, and implemented it after many conversations with the French Elites and his closest advisors. As a leader, he understood that not everybody would like what he had to say and do, but his intentions were to help his country succeed and he certainly helped France to have great success during his reign.

  It takes time and effort for an entrepreneur to find the most capable workers for his or her company. It also takes time for an emperor to find the best soldiers to build a strong army that would protect his empire. Napoleon wanted disciplined soldiers who would fight for him and the empire with passion. To find such soldiers, Napoleon assigned officers who were a group of tacticians and strategists. Napoleon had expectations for both the soldiers and officers. Officers were required to be educated and have some experience in the battlefield. Also these officers had to go through elections, and in those elections it was the national volunteers of 1791 and 1792 who hired these officers for Napoleon Bonaparte. Soldiers were expected to master their fighting skills in difficult situations and they were to shed their own blood (if necessary) to win battles and protect the empire from the enemies. To keep the army disciplined and happy, Napoleon rewarded them after they succeeded his expectations. By having his soldiers fight with their bodies on the line, paying them handsomely, and letting them have a life which was well-balanced, Napoleon was able to gain their trust and respect.

A great businessman will always acknowledge and respect his competition and business partners. Late in the seventeen hundreds, the French faced severe threats from the Austrians. Austria at the time was a powerful nation and wanted to become even more powerful. Napoleon was aware of Austria's intentions and knew that they could be a threat to the growth of French Empire. He called upon the great army he had assembled to defend the empire and gave them the instructions to head to Italy to face a powerful and dangerous army of the Austrians. Napoleon's army succeeded in the battle as they defeated the Austrians. After the battle, Napoleon had Austria sign the 'Treaty of Campo Formio.' With the treaty, Napoleon was able to restore the Italian territories which were under Austrian control before the end of the battle. This move helped the country of Italy significantly and created a great bond between them and France.

 Italy wasn't the only country that was benefited by Napoleon during his time as a French emperor. Napoleon also gave a new life to the country of Egypt. In the past, Egypt had dominated the world with its administration and a strong army, but in the 1700s and 1800s, the country of Egypt had faced a whole lot of trouble throughout the nation. Napoleon didn’t make Egypt the most powerful nation in the world during his reign, but he reorganized the structure of the government, also founded the ‘Institute of Egypt’ and provided them the tools they needed to improve their education system. Today, Italy and Egypt are popular tourism destinations. If Italy and Egypt have a ‘Napoleon Day’ sometime in the year, then the two countries are thanking Napoleon for all the good he did for them during his reign. By helping Italy and Egypt, Napoleon made a good reputation of him even outside of France. Today, that would be called a good PR (public relation) move.

 

 One man can do a lot of great things for himself and others. However, he is only one man. No matter if the person is a CEO or an emperor, he cannot see everything. Entrepreneurs who do business all over the country and overseas, need managers and assistant managers to check in with business operations in those places, where the entrepreneur isn't currently present. Just like an entrepreneur, every great emperor needs advisors to support him with taking care of his empire. Napoleon knew as a ruler, he needed the support of the French Elites, who were the old nobility and bourgeoisie. It was these two groups who took control of the farmers, share-croppers, workers, servants, and suppliers. All these workers and suppliers were the people who Napoleon didn’t meet on a regular basis but, they were very important for the country’s economy. The Elites spent a lot of time working for Napoleon and they advised him in all sorts of business. However, Napoleon didn't fully trust the Elites. Not everyone's going to tell the emperor what's best for the empire. Plus some might have strong dislike for the emperor and wanted to take over his position. Therefore, Napoleon hired Joseph Fievee as one of his secret councilor. The most important task of Joseph Fievee was to convince the people and the Elites about the necessity of having an empire, and he succeeded with it.

Having a good character and being active with speaking to people can help a businessman bring in a lot of customers for his company. French people adored Napoleon Bonaparte. They adored him because of his unique and novelistic character. Napoleon had a reputation of being a liberal and a very intellectual person. He was committed to give his people equality and everything they deserved and earned for themselves. Also, Napoleon had a desire to study and learn what other emperors, who came before him did.  He read about Charlemagne, Alexander the Great, Caesar, Henry the 14th, Louis the 16th, and few more. Napoleon wanted to know all the tough decisions they had to make to build their empires and also wanted to learn from their mistakes, so he doesn’t repeat what they did to bring their empires down. Napoleon with his charming personality was a force of nature. He just didn’t sit on his chair and passed laws. He did more than talking. Napoleon put in his work and cemented himself as a true leader of France.

 So now tell me, do you guys still disagree with Napoleon taking over the corporate world and succeeding with it? Before you answer, know that he actually made a huge business deal in 1803. He sold Louisiana to United States for cash. It was a good move by Napoleon, since the country of France needed funds for the war in Europe and also Louisiana was too far from the mainland of France, which was difficult and expensive for Napoleon to govern. As a leader he did what he needed to do with courage. He wanted to change the system and he adapted to the change. He kept his soldiers happy. He listened to what his advisors had to say and respected their point of views. Napoleon was willing to study and learn from his predecessors. Finally, he was all in for his people. He put his empire's success before his own personal gains. Yes, you can argue that in today's world, you need to be a little selfish if you want to succeed, since most of the people these days do well when they put their individual goals ahead of group goals. However, we are talking about a leading businessman here. No matter what kind of business it is, you need people to run it, and you need everyone to be on the same page. The France we know today was largely made by Napoleon Bonaparte’s leadership. I have no doubt that if Napoleon lived today, he would be one of the richest and most prosperous businessmen in the world.