How to Be a Leader, Plutarch
How to Be a Leader, Plutarch
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How to Be a Leader
An Ancient Guide to Wise Leadership

Author: Plutarch, Jeffrey Beneker

Narrator: Matthew Waterson

Unabridged: 2 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/05/2019


Synopsis

The ancient biographer and essayist Plutarch thought deeply about the leadership qualities of the eminent Greeks and Romans he profiled in his famous—and massive—Lives, including politicians and generals such as Pericles, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Mark Antony. Luckily for us, Plutarch distilled what he learned about wise leadership in a handful of essays, which are filled with essential lessons for experienced and aspiring leaders in any field today.

In "To an Uneducated Leader," "How to Be a Good Leader," and "Should an Old Man Engage in Politics?" Plutarch explains the characteristics of successful leaders, from being guided by reason and exercising self-control to being free from envy and the love of power, illustrating his points with memorable examples drawn from legendary Greco-Roman lives. He also explains how to train for leadership, persuade and deal with colleagues, manage one's career, and much more.

Writing at the height of the Roman Empire, Plutarch suggested that people should pursue positions of leadership only if they are motivated by "judgment and reason"—not "rashly inspired by the vain pursuit of glory, a sense of rivalry, or a lack of other meaningful activities." His wise counsel remains as relevant as ever.

About Plutarch

Plutarch was a Greek historian, biographer, and essayist, known primarily for his Lives and Moralia. He is considered today to be a Middle Platonist. He was born to a prominent family in Chaeronea, Boeotia, a town about twenty miles east of Delphi.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jacopo

As the second book I've purchased in Princeton's ANCIENT WISDOM FOR MODERN READERS series, I approached 'How to Be a Leader: An Ancient Guide to Wise Leadership' with high expectations. I gave its predecessor, 'How to Think about War: An Ancient Guide to Foreign Policy' by Thucydides, five stars and......more

More philosophy of leadership or perspective on leadership than step-by-step instructions, and for that reason I appreciated it. Simple, clear, applicable in multiple fields of leadership.......more

Goodreads review by Philip

Well, I can think of at least 1 leader in 2019 who could certainly benefit from reading this... It may be a cliche to call this "timeless" wisdom but the world would certainly be better off if our leaders came from a background of studying this kind of thought.......more

This book contains essays from Plutarch's Moralia, particularly those that focus on the kind of wise, idealized leadership that always prioritizes the good of the state before one's political primacy. It includes three texts: To An Uneducated Leader (Ad Principem Ineruditum), How To Be A Good Leader......more