What a Roman Emperor can teach you about leading through COVID.

These days, when I start coaching a CEO, one of the first things I do is give them a leather-bound copy of Marcus Aurelius’s ‘Meditations’. If you don’t know the book or the author, stop reading this post right now and go buy it.

Now, I’m not a history or philosophy major, so forgive any inaccuracies in what will be, no doubt, a woefully inadequate summary of Marcus Aurelius’s life and stoic philosophy, but for context.

Marcus Aurelius

• The last of the ‘5 Good Emperors’ before the fall of the Roman Empire, he was the most powerful man in the known world.
• He defended the Roman Empire against constant attack and threat from Germanic tribes and Parthians. Interestingly, thinking about him in relation to the current pandemic, he held the empire together during a devastating plague.
• He was a philosopher emperor, and his book ‘Meditations’ is one of the core texts of stoic philosophy. The text is also a brilliant glimpse into the mind of a leader who was committed to character and service.
• As a role-model of strong, brave, and humble leadership during times of crisis and pandemic he's right up there.

Stoicism

If you’re new to Stoicism, which let’s be honest doesn’t sound that sexy, it’s a philosophy that can help direct your thoughts and actions in an uncertain world—so, pretty helpful right about now. Stoicism’s basic tenet is that we can’t control what happens in the world but we CAN exercise control over our thoughts, words, and deeds and that it’s these which determine our quality and experience of life.

Stoicism refers to four cardinal virtues:

• Prudence (wisdom, deliberation, good judgment, perspective)
• Fairness (good-heartedness, public service, benevolence)
• Courage (fortitude, perseverance, authenticity, confidence)
• Self-discipline (orderliness, self-control, forgiveness, humility)

Stoicism also suggests one of the most helpful exercises leaders can engage in (in my humble opinion), and it’s this exercise which forms the basis of today’s Leadership experiment – the Daily Evaluation of Conscience.

Daily Evaluation of Conscience

The name of the exercise tells you most everything you need to know. It’s a daily moment to pause, reflect, and ask yourself:

• What did I do well today?
• What did I do less well?
• What could I do better tomorrow?

If you’re committed to being the best leader you can be, this exercise of self-reflection and self-awareness will be a gold mine for you. You will uncover how you can be more impactful, more effective, and more successful. If you know where you slipped up today (which we ALL do, EVERY day), you can be a better leader tomorrow. More than that, when you do this exercise regularly you’ll actually feel better and happier. It feels GOOD to act virtuously, to be kind or brave… to be less of a dick. To put it in modern terms, it’s not only more effective to be more of an Aurelius and less of a Trump, but it feels better too.

Give it a go, see what you discover, and if you find this post helpful, please share it.

Today’s Leadership Experiment

Every day for a week, either before bed or on awakening, think about the past 24 hours. Remind yourself of the four cardinal values above and ask:

• What did I do well? Which virtues did I exercise and embody?
• What could I improve? Where did I miss the mark?
• Which virtues do I want to embody in the coming 24 hours?

If you want to explore Stoicism further ‘The Daily Stoic’ by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman is an excellent book of daily meditations on wisdom, perseverance, and the art of living.