Leading and Living with Stoic Principles: Ancient Wisdom for Today
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Understanding Stoicism in Leadership
Would you prefer to be guided by someone who embodies Stoic values? How do the teachings of Stoicism shape our leadership approach? These intriguing questions emerged in my recent discussion with Donald Robertson, the author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor. A fundamental concept in Stoicism is the dichotomy of control. As Epictetus notes in the Enchiridion:
“Some matters depend on us, while others do not. What is within our control includes our judgment, motivation, desires, and aversions — essentially, our own actions. Conversely, things beyond our control encompass our bodies, possessions, reputations, and official roles — anything outside our influence. Notably, what is under our control is naturally free and unimpeded, while what is not is powerless and constrained.”
This leads to another question: How should we conceptualize leadership? Does concentrating on what we can control correlate with effectively guiding others? Leadership experts, including John C. Maxwell, emphasize the critical role of influence in leadership, defining it as “influence, influence, and influence.”
In my dialogue with Donald Robertson, we explored how the dichotomy of control intersects with leadership influence. Here’s a brief segment from that discussion on leading like a Stoic:
Virtue and Vice: The Stoic Perspective
An essential topic we addressed is our understanding of virtue and vice. According to Donald, Stoics, influenced by Socratic thought, posited that virtue equates to knowledge while vice stems from ignorance. When individuals act rightly, it is due to virtue; when they err, it is a result of ignorance and misconceptions.
Socrates once stated, “No one knowingly does evil.” During our recent Reading & the Good Life session, we examined a well-known excerpt from Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations: “As the day begins, remind yourself that you will encounter people who are officious, ungrateful, abusive, treacherous, malicious, and selfish. Their behaviors arise from ignorance regarding what is good and bad.”
Marcus continues by affirming his understanding of moral truths, recognizing the nature of both good and bad, and acknowledging the flawed humanity of those who err.
The Stoics held that making mistakes is a universal human experience. They believed that true sages are exceedingly rare, akin to the mythical phoenix, which is said to rise from its ashes every 500 years. Seneca poignantly remarked:
“Consider the largest city or nation; what a desolate place it would be if only those who could withstand the harshest justice remained! We would have neither judges nor accusers, nor anyone to grant or seek forgiveness. In essence, we are all sinners.”
In Lives of the Stoics, Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman note that studying Marcus’s life might lead one to believe he was unique, possessing an inherent quality that simplified his difficult choices. This misconception only reinforces the notion that Stoics transcend pain and desire. However, Marcus himself would not endorse this view; it undermines the effort he invested in personal growth. As historian Herodian noted, “Among the emperors, he demonstrated his learning not merely through words or philosophical knowledge but through his impeccable character and disciplined lifestyle.” He was, despite his wisdom, still fundamentally human.
So, would you want to be led by a Stoic? My answer is a resounding yes! A Stoic possesses clarity regarding what is within their control and what is not. They recognize that perfection is unattainable, and that we all err. Leading as a Stoic fosters realistic expectations. Marcus Aurelius once advised himself:
“Do not expect Plato’s Republic.”
Holiday and Hanselman highlight that no quote better encapsulates Marcus’s approach to leadership and progress than this:
“You must build your life action by action, and be content if each one achieves its goal as far as possible — and no one can prevent you from this. There may be external obstacles! Perhaps, but no barrier exists to acting justly, with self-control and wisdom.”
But what if some aspect of your actions is hindered? Accept the obstacle for what it is and redirect your focus to what is available; another action will emerge, one that aligns more closely with the life you are creating.
There is much to glean about leadership (and the essence of living) from ancient wisdom traditions such as Stoicism. If you haven’t yet explored Donald Robertson’s How to Think Like a Roman Emperor or the new graphic novel Verissimus, I highly recommend them!
Thank you for taking the time to read; I hope you discovered something valuable.
— J.W. Bertolotti
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