9 Timeless Leadership Lessons from Cyrus the Great
Ryan Holiday write at Forbes: "Forget 1-800-CEO Read. The greatest book on business and leadership was written in the 4th century B.C. by a Greek about a Persian King. Yeah, that’s right. Behold: Cyrus the Great, the man that historians call the most amiable of conquerors, and the first king to found his empire on generosity instead of violence and tyranny. Consider Cyrus the antithesis to Machiavelli’s ideal Prince. The author, himself the opposite of Machiavelli, was Xenophen, a student of Socrates.
The "Cyrus-inspired" guidelines listed in Holiday's article have been iterated in many modern management training books such as the acclaimed "Leading with Kindness: How Good People Consistently Get Superior Results." Holiday goes on to list the nine lessons in leadership from a translation of Xenophen’s "Cyrus the Great:" (details in original story here):
Be Self-Reliant (Give them all they need and your troops will follow you to the end of the earth)
Be Generous (Success always calls for greater generosity and not greater greed)
Be Brief (Brevity is the soul of command. Too much talking suggests desperation on the part of the leader. Speak shortly, decisively and to the point)
Be a Force for Good (Whenever you can, act as a liberator. Freedom, dignity, wealth–these three together constitute the greatest happiness of humanity. If you bequeath all three to your people, their love for you will never die)
Be in Control (discipline always brings rewards)
Be Fun (no kindness between man and man comes more naturally than sharing food and drink, especially food and drink)
Be Loyal ("If I can only do well by my friends, I’ll look glorious enough in whatever clothes I wear")
Be an Example ("men who respond to good fortune with modesty and kindness are harder to find than those who face adversity with courage.”)
Be Courteous and Kind (one fine instance of generosity can inspire dozens more)
Holiday says admiringly "There’s a reason Cyrus found students and admirers in his own time as well as the ages that followed. From Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin to Julius Caesar and Alexander (and yes, even Machiavelli) great men have read his inspiring example and put it to use in the pursuit of their own endeavors. That isn’t bad company."
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