Leadership & Stoicism

 

Leadership & Stoicism

Leadership & Stoicism

Stoicism is probably one of the most eminent discipline of study in philosophical context. And its roots can be found starting from the Greek mythology to Roman empires. Many great minds in the history have argued and tried to give their euphoria to the study of Stoicism. So is Stoicism confined to a contended living or does it teaches us some lessons in leadership context? As contrary to what may appear at the macro level to most of the people, stoicism is not as ubiquitous as it may seem.

The roman emperor Marcus Aurelius  probably holds his place as one of the most earliest people in history who contributed to stoicism and ancient philosophy and mentions it profoundly in his book ‘Meditations’. In fact, stoicism can certainly not only make you a better individual but also a good leader in many aspects of it. Marcus Aurelius being a roman emperor has maintained the reputation for being the ideal & wise leader whom Plato called the “Philosopher King”. His Meditations has provided the necessary and timeless wisdom & presents various ideas that leaders of different generations or cohort can execute. These ideas must be digested & assimilated by a aspiring leader or even leaders at some level in their areas of competence.

Leadership & Stoicism

Stoicism presents a numerous lessons which can be executed by a leader to be more effective. These teachings not only confine to some sober & conscientious people or thinkers. But even a layman with no prior conditioning in philosophy can apply these timeless lessons to be more effective.

·     Expressing Gratitude:

 

 Now you might be wondering, “How the hell will Gratitude help me become a better leader?” Well, if you lead your organization or people but always take them for granted, it is time for you to reflect on those attitudes and follies of the past. Dale Carnegie in ‘How to Win Friends & Influence People’ presents the idea to look at people’s circumstances from their perspective and to talk more about them rather than bragging about yourself or your position, title or past accomplishments. ^[1]

 

•         Change your Interpretations:

 

 I have already probably talked about this aspect in previous posts, but still it is so relevant and vital in life, that it cannot be discarded from being a rigid principle in itself. Life is not necessarily how you interpret it to be. Now, that being said, do not take the above statement literally.

                                                         I meet some people and they constantly keep saying, “Well, you know, this positivity thing doesn’t help. This does not change your position in life at all!” And I agree to their assumption ( yes! Because most of them do not even try) to some extent, but it never implies that you need to have complete dominion or control over tough and turbulent times. It only signifies the truth that you can always correct your perception towards it. And ultimately, there is a complete alteration in your response to the same situation (Isn’t this exciting? )

Leadership & Stoicism

•         Don’t get Influenced with others opinions ( that includes praise or criticism):

The truth about you is more important than other people’s opinion of you. We see it often that a person gets approval and praise when he/she starts influencing some or other areas of life and when they are caught up in a demeaning act or some character flaws, people make life hell for them. And that’s gives a very strong reason why stoics are never bothered or even touched by what people perceive them to be. They are more concerned in doing their business to the point that they do not even use their time in thinking of these frail things.

Leadership & Stoicism

The above mentioned were some of the things which I shared from my learning of stoicism and how it can be put to test in leadership styles to lead yourself into becoming the kind of person you were supposed to be. The rest of the lessons will be shared in the upcoming posts. Share your thoughts on why stoicism proves to be an effective way of living life!

Bibliography

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[1]	Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends & Influence People.: Cornerstone Publishing, 2005.

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