Marcus Aurelius' 10 Rules for Being an Exceptional Leader
“It is not events that disturb people; it is their judgements concerning them.”
Marcus Aurelius
The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius ruled from 161 to 180 A.D. and has maintained the reputation for being the ideal wise leader whom Plato called the "philosopher king." His book "Meditations" has inspired leaders for centuries because of its timeless wisdom about human behavior.
1. Understand that people exist to help one another. Marcus believed that even though there will always be people who live selfishly and those who want to destroy others, mankind was meant to live in harmony.
2. Be mindful of others' humanity. Remember it is easy to belittle or to magnify the importance of others when you are making a decision about them. Remember that every person has dignity and pride.
3. Realize that many mistakes, even egregious ones, are the result of ignorance. When a person makes a decision that offends you, first consider whether they were "right to do this" in the sense that they are acting in a way that is morally acceptable, even if it is against your own self-interest. In that case, do not spend energy complaining about it.
4. Do not overly exalt yourself. It is true that leaders should take their leadership roles seriously, but not in a way that makes them feel godlike in some way.
5. Avoid quick judgments of others' actions. A lot of things are means to some other end. You have to know an awful lot before you can judge other people's actions with real understanding.
6. Maintain self-control. While it is natural to react to an offense by losing your temper or even becoming irritated, it is in no way constructive. You can choose to spend your time and energy languishing over things that have already happened, or you can choose to be calm and address any problems that arise.
7. Recognize that others can hurt you only if you let them. The only actions that should truly hurt you are things you do that are shameful, since you are in control of your own self-worth and values.
8. Know that pessimism can easily overtake you. It is common to have strong emotional reactions to disasters, but behaving in this way only keeps you from addressing the challenges. You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.
9. Practice kindness. Sincere kindness is "invincible," and more powerful than any negative transgression. It takes a strong leader to set aside ego and base emotions and behave with compassion.
10. Do not expect bad people to exempt you from their destructive ways. It is the responsibility of leadership to work intelligently with what is given, and not waste time fantasizing about a world of flawless people and perfect choices.
Additional Reading
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Point of Reflection
“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations