Empathy in Leadership

When working on a difficult problem that needs solving, we need to try and turn everything upside down. One of the things that Stoicism teaches us about leadership, is that we should always search for as many perspectives as we can, even the ones that might feel far-fetched.

Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome and one of the greatest leaders of all time once wrote in his journal (Meditations):

“Turn it inside out and see what it is like — what it becomes like when old, sick, or prostituting itself. How short-lived the praiser and praised, the one who remembers and the remembered. Remembered in some corner of these parts, and even there not in the same way by all, or even by one. And the whole earth is but a mere speck.”

As we reflect on this note, we might feel that indeed, this is not just a lesson on being more creative and finding different angles, being more open-minded.

This is a radical lesson on the place of Empathy in Leadership.