Seneca’s Stoic Wisdom for Leaders
Smart people seek ancient wisdom.
Seneca (4 BC – AD 65), the Stoic philosopher, wrote 2,000 years ago. He was the most prominent Stoic philosopher of his day. At one point he was exiled by emperor Claudius. After exile, he returned to became Nero’s advisor. However, he was unable to prevent Nero’s growing brutality.
Seneca’s wisdom guides skillful leaders today.
Seneca’s ancient wisdom for leaders:
#1. Finish stuff.
“Lay hold of today’s task, and you will not need to depend so much upon tomorrow’s.”
Action: Choose your big rocks. Complete one significant task every day (beyond day-to-day responsibilities). Limit distractions. Focus fully. See it through.
#2. Build loyalty.
“Regard him as loyal, and you will make him loyal.”
Action: Ask meaningful questions about people’s interests or goals. Be helpful. Row with people before you ask them to row with you.
#3. Lead simply.
Complexity defeats us.
“It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.”
Action: Focus on what adds value. Simplify your calendar. Schedule your priorities. Eliminate non-essentials. Reduce screen time. Less is more.
#4. Share knowledge.
“Nothing will ever please me, no matter how excellent or beneficial, if I must retain the knowledge of it to myself.”
Action: Share things you’re learning with team members. Ask people what they’re learning.
#5. Find reasons to act.
“While we are postponing, life speeds by.”
Action: Say, “I hear what we can’t do. What can we do?”
Bonus: Be present.
“Beasts avoid the dangers which they see, and when they escape them are free from care; but we men torment ourselves over that which is to come as well as over that which is past.”
Action: Notice the focus of your thought-time. Draw your attention to things you can do now. Action in the present answers fear of the future.
Which bit of wisdom can you practice today?
Still curious:
Wisdom From Three Stoics for Leaders (There are three remarkably relevant quotes on this post.)
I’m reading, “Seneca’s Letters from a Stoic.”
The main takeaway — and one that is always hard to remember in the middle of a crisis — is that there is nothing new under the sun. We are not alone in our struggles. Others have gone through the exact same thing, and we should make an effort to learn from them. Don’t reinvent the wheel!
That’s a big one, Jennifer. Before trying to create new solutions be sure to seek the voice of experience. That is so powerful to me. Cheers