The Daily Stoic - How To Be A Leader (According To Plutarch)

Episode Date: September 24, 2023

As one of history’s most important biographers and essayists, Plutarch studied deeply the traits of great Greek and Roman leaders to identify just what it is that made them great. In today���s audiobook reading, Ryan shares an excerpt from How to Be a Leader: An Ancient Guide to Wise Leadership, in which Plutarch clearly and succinctly lays out his thoughts on the subject, as well as his advice to anyone striving to become a leader. This book is part of the fantastic Princeton University Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers series, which you can find at The Painted Porch.💪 Visit store.dailystoic.com/pages/leadership to sign up for in the Daily Stoic Leadership Challenge before September 25th.✉️ Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail🏛 Check out the Daily Stoic Store for Stoic inspired products, signed books, and more.📱 Follow us: Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, FacebookSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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From doing what the law can't. And we have to do this the very way. You have to. I don't. Barsch Legacy. Watch the new season now streaming exclusively on FreeV. Go Sunreal. At least as a journalist, that's what I've always believed.

Sure, odd things happened in my childhood bedroom. But ultimately, I shrugged it all off. That is, until a couple of years ago, when I discovered that every subsequent occupant of that house is convinced they've experienced something inexplicable too, including the most recent inhabitant who says she was visited at night by the ghost of a faceless woman. And it gets even stranger. It just so happens that the alleged ghost haunted my childhood room might just be my wife's great grandmother.

It was murdered in the house next door by two gunshots to the face. From wandering in Pineapple Street Studios comes Ghost Story, a podcast about family secrets overwhelming coincidence and the things that come back to haunt us. Follow Ghost Story on the wandering app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes ad-free right now by joining Wondry Plus. by joining One Replace. Welcome to the weekend edition of the Daily Stoic Podcast. On Sundays, we take a deeper dive into these ancient topics with excerpts from the Stoic texts, audiobooks that we like here recommend here at Daily Stoic, and other long form wisdom that you can

chew on on this relaxing weekend. We hope this helps shape your understanding of this philosophy and most importantly that you're able to apply it to your actual life. Thank you for listening. Hey, it's Ryan Holiday. Welcome to another weekend episode of the Daily Stoic podcast. One of my favorite quotes of all time about leadership comes from the one and only plea track. He said something like, a leader has to be willing to do anything, but they can't do everything, right? Because if you try to do everything, you won't do the most important things. And that also means you're micromanaging and you're stepping on people's toes and you're just being in control for it, right?

You have to be willing to get your hands dirty. You have to be willing to do the hard, grunt work and you have to lead from the front. The same time, if you're always leading from the front, it means you're not stepping back, seeing the big picture and being what an actual leader is, which is strategic, motivational, right? Holds people accountable, fixes mistakes, all that kind of stuff.

All of which is to say, people have been writing smart stuff about leadership for a very long time. And we incorporated a bunch of that into something we're about to launch, which is the Daily Stoic Leadership Challenge. It's a nine week deep dive into how to be a better leader per the engines, per the Stoics, per people like Plutarch, per the generals that we interviewed, the entrepreneurs, mayors of big cities, leadership experts. We interviewed a bunch of fascinating people

and you'll be able to, if you take the course, you'll be able to ask them questions as part of it. We do these deep dives as part of the intensive. Anyways, I've been talking about the leadership challenge a lot if you haven't signed up for it. You absolutely should, you can go to dailystoke.com slash lead. And remember, if you're daily stoke life member,

you get this challenge and all the other challenges for free. So it's basically sign up for a dailystoke.com slash lead. And remember, if you're daily stoke life member, you get this challenge and all the other challenges for free. So it's basically sign up for a daily stoke life. It's a wash if you're thinking about doing the leadership challenge. Anyways, that leads me to today's episode, which is an excerpt from Plutarchs How to Be a Leader. It's three essays from Plutarch on being an educated leader, how to be a good leader,

and should old men engage in politics. Anyways, this is a collection from one of my favorite, very favorite series, which is the Princeton University Ancient Wisdom from Modern. Reader series, this was translated by Jeffrey Bennickr, and I appreciate them letting us use this audiobook. We carry this book in the painting porch. If you haven't grabbed how to be a leader, you absolutely should one of the great books of leadership of all time. And I want to bring you this and urge you again to sign up for the Daily Stoke Leadership Challenge. You can do right now. It starts on September 26th, so not that much more time. Sign up there at dailystoke.com slash lead and enjoy how to be a leader by Plutarch and grab that book

at the painting Report as well. To an uneducated leader, in this brief essay, Plutarch refutes the notion that the benefit of holding office is merely the opportunity to exercise power. This is the myopic stance of uneducated leaders whom he portrays as insecure and afraid of the people they govern. Educated leaders, conversely, are primarily concerned with the welfare of their constituents, even at the expense of their own power or safety. A leader becomes educated in Plutarch's view

by exposure to philosophy and in particular to moral philosophy. The greatest benefit to be derived from this sort of education is the development of the logos or reason, which is essential to controlling one's emotions and impulses. Leaders who allow themselves to be governed by reason will in turn govern their cities benevolently. The uneducated leader, on the other hand, is plagued by greed, paranoia, and a force sense of grandeur. Plutarch holds out God in this essay as the ideal to which leaders should compare and assimilate themselves. This God, however, is not one of the deities of the polytheistic Greek religion, but rather a philosophical concept that Plutarch

has borrowed from Plato. It represents a pure reason and the perfection of moral virtue. Plutarch conceives of this deity as existing in the heavens where the sun becomes its physical manifestation. And just as the sun in the sky represents the perfection of the deity, so the leader who is governed by reason exhibits an example of virtue to the citizens of a city. And even more, this virtuous leader may in turn make the citizens virtuous. Thus, good political leadership depends not on formulating and executing particular policies, but on the moral development of the leaders themselves. 1. The people of Cyrene were in treating Plato to write laws for them and to reorganize their constitution.

But he declined, claiming that it would be difficult to establish laws for the Cyrenians because they were so well off. For nothing is so naturally haughty and harsh and hard to govern as a man who has acquired a reputation for success. For the same reason, it is difficult to act as an advisor about governing to those who hold office, because they are afraid to accept reason as their own governor, for fear that it will make them subservient to the obligations of their office, and so reduce the benefit of their power. These people do not know the example of the Apompus, King of the Spartans, who was the first insparter to involve the Ephors in the affairs of the kings. When his wife reproached him with the complaint that he would leave to his children an office that was weaker than

the one he had received, he replied, actually it will be stronger to the same degree that it is more stable. For by letting go of the excessive and absolute character of his office, he escaped envy and so avoided danger. And yet, when the apompus diverted royal power to the ephors, which was like diverting the current of a great stream, he deprived himself of whatever power he granted to them. Reason that has been conditioned by philosophy, however, once it has been established as a counselor and protector of the one who governs, removes the unstable element of power and leaves behind what is sound, just as happens when we apply reason to the maintenance of our health.

2. Most kings and leaders, however, lack sense, and so they imitate the unskilled sculptors who believe that their colossal statues appear great and strong when they fashion their figures with a mighty stride, a straining body, and a gaping mouth. These kings and leaders, because they speak with a low-pitched voice, cast a harsh gaze, a factor can tankerous matter, and hold themselves aloof in their daily lives, suppose that they are imitating the dignity and solemnity of leadership. In fact, they are not at all different from those colossal statues, which on the exterior

possess a heroic and divine facade, but inside are filled with earth and stone and lead. In the case of the statues, however, this weight keeps their upright posture stable and steady while uneducated generals and leaders are oftentimes tripped up and toppled over by their innate foolishness. But they establish their lofty power upon a pedestal that has not been leveled, and so it cannot stand upright. Moreover, just as a builder's rule is first established straight and unbending, and then is used to correct the alignment of everything else through adjustments and juxtapositions with respect to it. In the very same way, those who govern must first achieve governance of themselves, straighten out their souls, and set their character right, and then they should assimilate their subjects to themselves. For the one who is tipping over cannot straighten up someone else, nor can the ignorant person

teach, the disorderly established order order the disorganized organize the ungoverned govern. But most leaders misunderstand this, thinking instead that the greatest benefit in governing is the freedom from being governed themselves. Take the King of the Persians, for instance. He believed that everyone was his slave except for his wife over whom he ought especially to have been the master. 3. Who then will govern the governor? The law which is king of everyone, both mortals and immortals, as Pindar says. But I'm not referring to a law that has been written

in books or on any wooden tablets to be read. But I mean reason, which exists within those who govern, always accompanying and guarding their souls, and never allowing them to lack guidance. Now, the Persian king assigned to one of his attendants this task, to come to him at dawn, and to say, arise O king, and attend to the matters that the great Ahura Mazda wants you to attend to. But this voice is always present with an educated and self-controlled leaders, speaking out and exhorting them. Polamon used to say that erotic love was a service of the gods intended for the care and well-being of young people.

One might more truly say that those who govern serve God for the care and well-being of their fellow humans, with the aim of dispersing some of the noble and good gifts that God grants and protecting the rest. Do you see this boundless sky up on high and infielding the earth in its soft embrace? The sky sends down the beginnings of the necessary seeds, while the earth yields them up. Some will grow from rain, others from wind, and others when warmed on their surface by the stars and moon, and the sun arranges everything and mixes its own charm into all the grows. But of the good gifts which the gods give, gifts that are so great and so many, there is no enjoyment or

proper use of them that is separate from law and justice and a leader. Justice, in fact, is the aim of the law, and law is the work of the leader, and the leader is the image of God who gives order to everything. True leaders require no fideos to fashion them, no polycletus and no miron, because they, on their own, transform themselves into the likeness of God through virtue, creating a real-life statue that is the most pleasant to look upon and the most fitting image of a God. And so just as God has established the sun in the sky as a beautiful image of himself, and the moon as well, so in cities there is a facsimile of God and a source of light, the leader who is

God-fearing and upholds righteousness. That is to say, the leader who possesses the reason and the intellect of God, but not one who holds a scepter or lightning bolt or trident has some fashion themselves in images and describe themselves in writing, thus making their foolishness odious by adding to it what in fact is unantainable. For God resents those who imitate thunder and lightning and shooting rays of light, but he is pleased with those who eagerly pursue his virtue and assimilate themselves to true beauty and benevolence. These, he strengthens, and to these he gives a share of his order, justice, truth and mildness. Fire is not more divine than

they are, nor is light, nor the course of the sun, nor the rising and settings of stars, nor eternity and immortality. For God is fortunate, not in His longevity, but in the governing ability of His virtue. For this is a divine thing, and Noble 2 is the ability of His virtue to be governed. 4. When Annex Arcus was consoling Alexander, who was despondent over his murder of Clitus, he said that justice and right were attendance to Zeus, so that everything done by a king was by definition righteous and just. But in his attempt to assuage Alexander's remorse for his crime, he encouraged similar actions in the future.

This was wrong and harmful. For if we must find a model for this situation, it would not be to say that Zeus has justice as an attendant, but that Zeus himself is justice and right, and that he is the eldest and most perfect of laws. The ancient authors and teachers tell us, however, that not even Zeus is able to govern nobly apart from justice. She is a maiden, writes Hesseod, uncorrupted, and the companion of reverence, self-control, and profit. For this reason they call kings reverend. For it is appropriate that those who are least fearful should be most revered. Leaders, in fact, must be more afraid of

inflicting harm than of suffering harm themselves. This is what causes them to be revered. This is the benevolent and noble sort of fear that leaders possess, to be afraid on behalf of those they govern, and so to remain vigilant and keep their constituents from harm, just as dogs keep careful watch over flocks in the pen when they've heard a stout-hearted wild beast. They act not in their own interests, but on behalf of those they are protecting. Take Eppaminandas, for example. When his fellow Thibans had abandoned themselves to a drunken festival, he alone kept watch over the city's weapons and walls, saying that by remaining sober and awake, he was freeing the others to get drunk and sleep. Or consider Kateriyanga at Utica.

Following their defeat in battle, he ordered that everyone be sent to the coast, and after embarking the monships and praying for good sailing, he returned to his quarters and committed suicide. Thus, he has taught us, on whose behalf a leader ought to be afraid and what things a leader ought to scorn. But Cliarchus, the tyrant of Heraclia Pontica, used to curl himself into a box like a snake when he went to sleep. And Aristodemus of Argos used to go up into a room on the second floor through a trap door, and after moving his bed on top of the door, he would sleep there with his mistress, while the woman's mother would take away the ladder from below, and then put it back again in the morning. How much do you suppose the

theatre and the town hall and the council chamber and the drinking party frightened this man, who had converted his own bedroom into a personal prison? In truth, kings are afraid for their subjects, while tyrants are afraid of their subjects. And so tyrants increased their fear in proportion to their power, the more people they rule, the more people they fear. 5. It is indeed neither likely nor fitting, as some philosophers claim, that God should exist intermingled with matter that is entirely passive or with substances that are liable to countless acts of compulsion and changes of fortune and fluctuations.

Rather upon high, somewhere near that nature which ever and always remains the same, God is established upon a holy pedestal, as Plato says, and, making his way along a straight path in accordance with nature, he completes his course. Just as the sun in the sky appears plainly as a beautiful facsimile and mirror image of God, to those who are able to perceive him in it, so God has established in cities the light of righteousness and of his own reason. This light acts as an image, which those who are blessed and self-controlled seek to replicate in themselves through philosophy, reshaping themselves closer to the absolute standard of goodness. Nothing other than reason developed through philosophy creates this character within

a person. If we understand this, we may avoid making the same mistake as Alexander. For when he saw Diogenese at Corinth, he admired him for his natural abilities and marveled at his intellect and stature. Then he declared, if I were not Alexander, I would be Diogeny's. In saying this, he essentially affirmed that he was weighed down by his own good fortune, fame and power which acted as impediments to virtue and left him no time for anything else. He was further declaring that he envied the philosophers' ragged cloak and leather bag because Diogenese was neither conquered nor held captive by them, while

he himself was restrained by armor and horses and spears. But it was, in fact, possible for him to practice philosophy, and so to become Diogenies in his character while remaining Alexander in his success. Indeed because he was Alexander, he had all the more reason to become Diogenies, because with respect to his great success, which, like a ship is subject to strong winds and rough seas, he was in need of heavy ballast and astount pilot. 6. For private citizens who are weak and obscure, however, lack of intelligence combines with a lack of power to result in no harm being done, just as in bad dreams when a sense of grief

disturbs the soul, but the soul, though it has the will, is unable to respond. But political power, once it is latched onto depravity, gives physical strength to one's emotions. Thus, the saying of Dionysius proves to be true. For he declared that whenever he achieved his desires quickly, that was when he most enjoyed being tyrant. There is a great danger, then, when people who are able to accomplish what they wish, in fact wish for things that are improper. Then, as soon as the word was spoken, the deed

was accomplished. The praveti, once combined with political power, races to give expression to every emotion. It converts anger into murder, love into adultery, and greed into the confiscation of property. Then, as soon as the word was spoken, the offender was put to death. As soon as the suspicion was raised, the one who was slandered was killed. Scientists declare that lightning follows thunder, as blood flows after a wound is inflicted, even though we see the lightning first, because our sense of hearing passively awaits sound where our sense of sight actively encounters light. Likewise, in the sphere of government, punishments may come before formal accusations, and indictments may proceed the presentation of proof. For the spirit is already yielding and no longer

holds out, as the hook of an anchor lodged in sand yields when seas are rough. Unless a weighty reason presses down on and applies pressure to political power. For then, a leader imitates the sun, which moves least when it achieves its greatest height, once it has ascended high into the north-eastern sky, and by taking its time, it makes its path more certain. 7. It is, of course, impossible for vices to go unnoticed when people hold positions of power. Epileptics begin to spin and rock back and forth when they go to high places and move around, and so height and motion expose their disease.

Fortune, likewise, after elevating uneducated and unlearned people to even slight prominence through some wealth or glory or political office, immediately makes a show of their downfall. Or to put it another way, when Jaza empty, you cannot distinguish between those that are intact and those that are damaged. But once you fill them, then the leaks appear. Just so, cracked souls cannot contain political power, but they leak with desire, anger, boasting, and vulgarity. But why must I go on about this, when we know that people criticize even the smallest of defects in prominent and famous

leaders? Wine, for example, became a slander against Kaiman and sleep against Scipio. While Luculus was criticized for his overly luxurious dinners. Emily, do you remember when One Direction called it a day? I think you'll find there are still many people who can't talk about it. Well luckily, we can. A lot. Because our new season of terribly famous is all about the first one directioner to go it alone. Zayn Malik.

We'll take you on Zayn's journey from Shilad from Bradford to being in the world's biggest boy band and explore why, when he reached the top, he decided to walk away. Follow terribly famous wherever you get your podcasts. It's terribly famous. Follow terribly famous wherever you get your podcasts. It's terribly famous. A leader should do anything, but not everything.

Now some people, such as Kato, involved themselves in every aspect of government, in the belief that good citizens, to the best of their ability, never abandon their concern and care for the state. And people praise Apamanondas because he did not neglect his duty even when the Thebans appointed him to an insignificant office out of envy and to insult him. On the contrary, he declared that not only doesn't office bring distinction to a man, but a man also brings distinction to an office. Then he proceeded to transform that insignificant office into a great and respected honour, even though previously it had involved nothing more than overseeing the

clearing of Dung and the diverting of water from the streets. And no doubt even I myself provide a good laugh to people visiting our town when they see me out in public performing similar duties as I often do. But in this situation, Antistini's memorable remark comes to my aid. For when someone expressed surprise that he was personally carrying his salted fish through the marketplace, he said, of course I am, since it's for me. Conversely, when people reproach me for being on the job while tiles are being measured, or cement and stones are being delivered, I say to them, look, I'm not building these things for myself, but for my native city. And so it is with many other small projects. People would be petty and parsimonious if they

oversaw these projects for themselves and carried them out on their own behalf. But when they undertake them as a public service on behalf of the city, they are not at all undignified. Indeed, the care and eagerness they devote to small matters becomes even more significant. Others, however, believe that the attitude of paracles was more honourable and appropriate to his high stature. Among them is Crittalouse, the parapetetic philosopher, who thinks that just as the Athenians' state ships, Salamonia and Parallus were not launched for ordinary tasks but were reserved for essential and great missions, so political leaders should apply themselves only to the most important and greatest matters, following the example of the King of the

Universe. For God lays hold of the greater fairs, but lets the small ones be, leaving them to chance, as Europathy says. I do not agree. Neither, however, do I approve of the excessive love of honor and contentiousness of the agonies, a man who was victorious at the four great athletic festivals and in many other competitions, and who won not only in the pancreatium, but also in boxing and the long race. After all this, he was attending a festival held at the Shrine of a certain hero, and after the feast had been served to everyone as usual, he leapt up to begin the pancreatium,

believing that no one else ought to be victorious if he was in the contest. As a result, he collected 1200 victory crowns, most of which would consider to be essentially worthless. Those who strip for every leadership opportunity are no different from the agonies. They swiftly make themselves contemptible to the people, they become oppressive and envied when they succeed, and they bring joy to others when they fail. And the very attributes that earned them admiration when they first took office, become the source of mockery and ridicule. And so we must not stand aloof from any public duty, but out of goodwill and concern, we must be attentive and knowledgeable about everything. And we must not stow ourselves away

like the sacred anchor on a ship, waiting for our city to experience an extreme need or misfortune. Rather consider the ship's pilots. They manage the tiller with their own hands, but they also turn and rotate other devices by means of tackle handled by the crew, while they themselves sit at a distance. Thus they rely on sailors, boasons and their lookouts on the bow, and they often summon some of these crew members to the stern and entrust them with the tiller. In the same way, it is proper that politicians yield to others with good will and kindness, allowing them to govern and be summoned to the speakers platform. And they must not accomplish all the public's business by their own speeches,

decrees, and actions, but having under them assistance who are trustworthy and of good character, they should assign each one to the task for which they are best suited. Thus, Pericles employed Menipus in the Generorship, checked the power of the Aeropagus Council through the agency of Effialties, passed the decree punishing the city of Maghara through Karnas, and sent out Lampon to found the colony at Thurai. When power appears to be distributed among many people, not only are we less troubled

by an accumulation of envy, but we are also more capable of accomplishing what must be done. For just as the division of the hand into fingers does not render it weak, but instead makes it a usable and practical instrument, so those who share political power with others make the work of government more effective by their cooperation. By contrast, there are some who, out of an insatiable desire for glory or power, take full responsibility for the city upon themselves and apply themselves to tasks for which they are neither naturally talented nor trained, as Clion did when he became general, or Philipoman as an admiral, or Hannibal when he addressed general, or Philipoman as an admiral, or Hannibal when he addressed the

assembly. Such people have no excuse when they fail, but they must moreover endure the criticism that we read in your epides. You're a carpenter, but you didn't work with wood. We might similarly criticize someone by saying, you're an unpersuasive speaker, but you are leading an embassy. You're careless, which you became an administrator. You're inexperienced in accounting, but you are acting as treasurer, or you're old and infirm, but you are leading an army. Pericles, however, shared power even with Kaiman, governing in Athens while his rival recruited crews for the city's ships and made war abroad. For Pericles was more naturally suited to politics,

while Kaiman was better in war. The people in every city can be malicious and inclined to find fault with their political leaders. Moreover, unless they observe some partisanship or opposition, the people suspect many good policies have been implemented by conspiracy, which leads especially to criticism of their leaders' political connections and friendships. Now, politicians must not allow any real hostility or disagreements between themselves to persist, as on a medimus, the demagogue of Kiosk did. After emerging victorious from a factional fight, he would not allow his party to drive all its enemies from the city, so that we don't begin to fight with our friends," he explained, once we've rid ourselves entirely of our enemies.

That approach is simple-minded, but whenever the people are suspicious of some important and beneficial proposal, do not allow every politician to come forward and speak the same opinion, as if by prior agreement. Instead, two or three of your friends should openly disagree and speak calmly in opposition, and then acting as though their position has been refuted, they should change sides. For by this strategy, your friends will bring the people along with them, because they appear to have been won over by what is advantageous to the city. In less important matters, however, there is no harm in allowing your friends to rely on their own reasoning and to genuinely disagree so that when it comes to the most important issues, they may appear to reach consensus

about the best course of action without any pre-arrangement. It is natural then that politicians always provide leadership in a city, just as the queen is leader among bees, and bearing this in mind, politicians must manage public affairs. Even so, they should pursue neither aggressively nor excessively those offices that confer power and a one-by-election, but there is nothing honorable or democratic in the love of holding office. But they should not refuse an appointment either if the people are calling them to serve and bestowing power lawfully. And they should accept and eagerly serve even in positions that have been a their dignity.

For politicians who enjoy renown because they have held the greater offices are obligated in turn to elevate the stature of the lesser offices by holding them too. And with regard to the most impressive positions, such as the General Ship at Athens, membership on the City Council at Rhodes, and leadership of our allied biotian cities. Politicians are likewise obligated to show moderation, giving way sometimes and yielding to others, while in turn adding honor and distinction to the lesser positions.

In this way we may avoid being either despised or envied. Thanks for listening to The Daily Stoke Podcast. Just a reminder we've got signed copies of all my books in The Daily Stoke Store. You can get them personalized, you can get them sent to a friend. The app goes away, it goes the enemy, still this is the key, the leather bound edition of the Daily Stoke, we have them all in the Daily Stoke Store, which you can check out at store Stoic early and ad-free on Amazon Music, download the Amazon Music app today, or you can listen early and ad-free with Wondery Plus in Apple podcasts.

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