LEADERSHIP: THE WISDOM OF CICERO

Published: 2010-04-06   please add a comment below

In Rome of the first century BC, most leading politicians were soldiers as well as statesmen. For example, Caesar, Mark Anthony and Brutus. But, one key contemporary was not: Cicero was primarily a thinker, orator and writer. He had huge influence during the final turbulent decades prior to the fall of the Roman Republic and appointment of the first Emperor, Augustus, in 27 BC. John Adams (the second US president) said of him that the world has not produced "a greater statesman and philosopher combined". As leaders, what can we learn from Cicero? Here are four must-haves I've taken from a biography* I read recently.

• Clear guiding principles. For Cicero, the constitution of the Roman Republic incorporated sacred principles of good governance. It was his equivalent of our corporate purpose, vision and values. He devoted his life to its tenets - and, he died for them.
• Communication skills. As orator, trial lawyer and author, Cicero kept repeating, explaining and interpreting the constitution. Countless times, his clarity and insights swayed colleagues and the public to support the constitution and resist dictatorship.
• Courage. Rome was an unruly city of a million people - ill equipped for law and order. It was a network of dark, narrow streets and had no police force. By his own account, Cicero was a physical coward. But he had the moral courage to keep on presenting his views and competing with hardened soldiers and thugs, who controlled armed gangs.
• Mentoring future leaders. Throughout his career, Cicero sought out younger leaders and provided them with guidance, introductions and advice. He recognised that they could leverage and extend his own influence.

Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, famously recounts the most dramatic public event of Cicero's time: the assassination of Caesar. Brutus and others were concerned Caesar hoped to become Emperor. Seventeen years later, the ensuing struggles finally enthroned Augustus (Caesar's adopted son) as Emperor. Cicero doesn't appear in the play but he was very much part of the history - and on the side of the conspirators. So, in that sense and along with them, he failed. And died for it. However, he helped sustain the Republic and its values in earlier decades - for a much longer time than most of us serve as senior executives or CEOs!

As a leader, you need to be a person of action - the philosopher king is mostly just a nice idea. You won't use a dagger these days to settle a dispute but there's still a sharp edge to corporate rivalry. And, notwithstanding your technical and market skills, you'll also need Cicero's attributes in relation to principles, communication, courage and succession.

* Cicero: the life and times of Rome's greatest politician, Random House, 2003.

Dr. Timothy Pascoe AM
PhD (Cambridge), MBA (Harvard), BE & BEc (Adelaide)
Creator, V|E|C|T|O|R Leadership^®