Chapter XIV from the book The Prince emphatically states that a ruler has the greatest role to play when it comes to military matters and in times of warfare. Literally to me, this quote suggests that the focus of a prince should be to make sure that as far as war is concerned, he is very competent and always remains alert. This is said to be so important that it should be the only art he should bother to embrace.
Any leader is expected to command respect among the people that he leads, it is therefore imperative for a leader to focus on what made him the leader in the first place. In our case here, a prince is only considered to be so because of his abilities in war. It, therefore, seems right and even makes sense to say that war should be his primary and only concern. In life, effective leaders are made by their ability to focus on something and make good out of it.
For example, in a business entity, if a leader finds a way to make sure the company does not experience losses but makes huge profit instead, he has found his point of concern and will worry about nothing else. That, therefore, becomes his primary objective and the objective for which he will be known and judged. He will be associated with every success of that business and will likewise do his best to ensure that the status quo is maintained.
The second implication that can be derived from this passage by Machiavelli provides even more important life lessons that we can use in our daily life.
It talks of how men of private fortune have been able to rise to the ranks of princes just by learning the art of war. My basic understanding of this is that one does not have to be born a prince to become a prince. It also implies that just because one was born a prince does not necessarily mean they will remain a prince especially if they do not learn to perfect what Machiavelli refers to as the art of war. In our everyday life, this would mean that some people are born into great fortunes but others are not.
Some of those born into good fortunes will become complacent and eventually lose that fortune. Some were not born into a good fortune but will work very hard in life to ensure they attain these good fortunes.
An example of how Machiavelli advises is applied in the modern world is evident in the present-day arms race of great superpowers who are constantly involved in the preparation of war as advised in the passage. Many countries have fought for superiority in as far as arms and war are concerned. Like earlier mentioned, a certain kind of respect seems to go to governments that are seen to be armed. For this reason, governments like the USA, Russia, and several other European and Asian countries find themselves in a constant struggle for superior armament. It seems these governments will stop at nothing to ensure that they are better prepared in the event of war than any other country.
This has resulted in the invasion of other countries in the battle for supremacy. Consequently, these governments find themselves in huge spending sprees funding wars in the name of military duties. This just affirms the quote that a prince should stop at nothing to master the art of war or lose the respect of those he commands. And like the second part of the quote mentions, maintaining the art of war is crucial for any prince.