Leaders have a responsibility to be understanding and lenient with those who work for and with you, and to behave well despite the temptations of power.
You never know what someone is going through.
However, it is a key responsibility of a leader to seek to understand what is happening for others.
Recently I wrote “One more piece of information can change everything“, which speaks to this from various perspectives.
Today, some thoughts from Ryan Holiday of the Daily Stoic, linking this to Stoicism.
Seneca had a rule for those who have been placed in a high position or accumulated success or power: “Bestow pardon for many things; seek pardon for none.”
By that, he meant that with power comes responsibility. A responsibility to be understanding and lenient with those who work for and with you, as well as a responsibility to behave well despite the temptations of that power. This is a common theme in Stoicism, one we hear often in the writings of Marcus Aurelius: Hold yourself to a very high standard and don’t make excuses when you fail to meet it. Meanwhile, leave other people to their standards and make every excuse you can when they fail. Be tough on yourself; be understanding to your fellow citizens.
The Daily Stoic “Give Forgiveness, Don’t Ask For It“
In closing, the phrase “bestow pardon for many things, seek pardon for none”. This may feel occasionally lonely for CEOs and other leaders, in that they are held to high standards and hold themselves to high standards. Two thoughts around “seek pardon for none”, then. First, go easy on yourself. Don’t seek external forgiveness, but be sure to forgive yourself. Second, support yourself. Make sure you have one or more key confidants that you can be open with, trust, that you know have no agenda other than to support you. If you have one, great, if you have two, three or more, recognise your good fortune and invest in it, cherish it.