The study examines the adherence to principled leadership styles by persons in position of authority and develops a method to determine the extent to which those people deviate from principled leadership practices for purpose of political expediency. Two fortune 500 companies, three smaller local companies and select Western Kentucky University faculty were surveyed using the MACH V Attitude Inventory for determining Machiavellian tendencies via an online survey site. An examination and evaluation of survey results yielded a surpirsingly consistent neutral score, but no indication of Machiavellian tendencies within the respondent group.