Real leaders give up their own comfort to help others.
There's a great story about Marcus Aurelius during a terrible plague that hit ancient Rome, killing huge numbers of people and causing chaos. Rome was in a very bad state, the treasury was drained by war and everyone felt hopeless.
So what did Marcus do? He started selling his own fancy things from the palace, like jewels and ornate furniture. For two months, he held sales right outside the palace. He was showing everyone that he wasn't going to look after just himself. He didn't need all those expensive things, not when so many people were suffering.
It's like a boss who cuts their own pay when times are tough, or a sports star who changes their contract so the team can sign better players. It's about leaders who give up their own comfort to help others.
That's what being truly great means.
TRY THIS TODAY
Think of one comfort or advantage you could give up this week to help someone in your team, family or community. Then do it.
Much of what I've learned about Stoicism comes from Ryan Holiday. Find more of his writing at dailystoic.com and ryanholiday.net.
While I have edited much of this content, there are some cases where I have taken Ryan Holiday's words directly. I've included them because I think they are powerful and will be helpful for you. They are also helpful for me, and I've put them here so I can learn and understand more myself.
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