Marcus Aurelius Did Not Come Out Of The Womb A Leader
Wendy Lambourne
Enabling leaders globally to cultivate LEGITIMACY, TRUST, CONTRIBUTION, and ACCOUNTABILITY in their organisations | Keynote Speaker | Author | Expert in Leadership and Organisational Change | Registered Psychologist
COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE BY WENDY LAMBOURNE, LEGITIMATE LEADERSHIP: It always amazes me that companies would never put someone on an expensive piece of equipment without training them to use it - but are happy to put someone in charge of other people’s lives without preparing them for the task. While some people are more naturally leaders than others, developing as a leader is a process not an event. Moreover it is a process which takes place over a lifetime. Leaders stand or fall on the basis of their intent or motive. As those in leadership roles grow as leaders they develop an increasing capacity to give unconditionally. And this, one could argue, is also the purpose of life – to polish one’s own intent, not somebody else’s!
THE ARTICLE: Marcus Aurelius did not come out of the womb a leader. Nor was he an emperor ‘by blood.’ In fact, when first told he was to be king, he wept - thinking of all the bad and failed kings of history.
So how did he get from there to ‘philosopher king’? Book 1 of Meditations shows us.
In the first 10% of the book - Debts and Lessons – he thanks people who groomed him into one of history’s greatest leaders. He knew it - without his philosophy teachers and rhetoric teachers and, most importantly, his mentor, Antoninus Pius, he wouldn’t have become who he became.
The few pages of that part of the book are deceptive too, as they compress a process that took 23 years.
Yes, it was nearly a decade and a half from the time Hadrian first set in motion his plan for Marcus to one day be the Emperor of Rome that he became the Emperor of Rome.
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That’s what it takes. Because leaders aren’t born. They’re made. Some of us recoil at that idea. Of course, we understand that athletes and doctors and dentists and lawyers and engineers and accountants and contractors and cooks go through a process to master their profession. But leadership? Leaders don’t do that, we think, you either got it or you don’t.
Ah, but a quick look at some of history’s great leaders is all you would need to realize that leadership is a process, not a position. The Pulitzer-prize winning historian Thomas Ricks would talk about how becoming a valiant leader was “George Washington’s work of a lifetime.”
While few of us will be plucked by someone who has charted a course for our rise to a position of leadership the way Marcus was, we all need to think of leadership as the work of our lifetime. Because we’re all leaders in one way or another—of families, of companies, of a team, of an audience, of a group of friends, of ourselves. So we could all benefit from a carefully thought-out and tested process from which to welcome, out the other side, a better leader.
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3 年Liked the article, but here's a thought. Leadership is a personal trait which is forged in the experience of life. It is recognised by others and not generally by oneself. It can be the absolute force of personality of one individual being in the right place at the right point in time. But viewing leadership through the lens of history in this manner is somewhat moot, misleading and simplistic. I could mention many charismatic and great leaders who were responsible for genocide, war crimes and many of the worst atrocities throughout history, (the Roman Empire wasn't exactly known for its tolerance) however in their time they were viewed by many as the greatest leaders of their age, but by others as tyrants and monsters. Human beings are flawed, therefore leadership and management will also be flawed no matter how much experience or training you have. Stating that "leaders stand or fall on the basis of their intent or motive" says it all really. Great leadership remains a matter of perspective and ethics and is a very powerful tool in the right or wrong hands. The world doesn't always agree on what that looks like, nor does the work place.
I advise and partner with my clients on their transformation journeys using a people centric approach. Working with you to develop a people led strategy, data driven decisions and a skills based organisation.
3 年Great article Wendy Lambourne . What really resonated with me was that leadership is not a position or a title. Many of the most inspiring leaders that I have come across do not hold the title but are seen by their peers as leaders. No greater affirmation!
Wenn wir es denken k?nnen, ist es auch machbar.
3 年Dear Wendy, indeed a good aspect to think about in an always faster moving world which demands from organizations quick and "agile" responses to the changes around us. Very often that leads into the demand of "pushing" learning and development processes and make them more "efficient" ignoring that we are still the same human beings like Marcus Aurelius.
Musician, entertainer and producer from Germany
3 年Love it, Wendy!