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Furthermore, another major factor in their belief of a successful government was obligations of the leaders. Both believed that the leader's main goal was to work with the people towards bettering the government. Lao-Tzu's government was not forceful. This was supported when he said, "Whoever relies on the Tao in governing men doesn't try to force issues or defeat enemies by the force of arms. For every force there is a counterforce. Violence, even well intentioned, always rebounds upon oneself." (Jacobus 208) When enemies are defeated by the force of arms, it lead to more violence. Violence lead to more violence. It became a continuous cycle of aggression. Lao-tzu was a detached leader and had the reputation of not forcing laws on the people. Another obligation of a leader according to Lao-tzu, was if one wanted to be a good leader, one must put themselves below the people and be willing to follow the people. Every person that made up the country was considered equal. Just because one held a government position, it did not make them any better than anyone else. On the other hand, as Machiavelli states, "A prince therefore, must not have any other object nor any other thought, nor must he take anything as his profession, but war"(Jacobus 221) The commitment of the prince was war. In peacetime, the prince was required to train himself for war, study the landscape of his country, look at armies that have fought past battles, and learn ways of how to defeat others. In doing this, the prince had a stronger army and therefore was more victorious. Lao-tzu and Machiavelli both believed that the leader's main objective was to work with the people to achieve a more successful government, even though they went about it differently.
The work of the state was a commonly unknown but was an important part of any thriving government. The government leaders' of both countries main work of the state was to keep the country organized and running efficiently.
