In the modern workplace, where extroversion often takes the spotlight, introverted leaders might feel overshadowed. However, the philosophy of Stoicism, with its profound insights into human nature and leadership, offers a powerful toolkit for introverts to excel in leadership roles.

Similar to the concept of Servant Leadership created by Robert K. Greenleaf, which emphasizes the importance of leading by serving others, Stoicism aligns perfectly with the introverted leader’s natural inclination towards thoughtfulness, reflection, and a focus on collective well-being.

Let’s explore ten principles based on Stoic teachings that can help introverted leaders navigate their careers with wisdom, integrity, and effectiveness, illustrated by historical examples of Stoic leaders.

1. Embrace Your Natural Temperament

Understand and accept your introverted nature as a unique strength. It is not only your humility but many other strengths that you can use as a leader. In Quiet Success, I listed twelve major introverts’ strengths split into four categories: Awareness (Introspection, Empathy, Attentiveness), Achievement Orientation (Preparation, Focus, Perseverance), Conflict Prevention (Prudence, Thoughtfulness, Calm), Personal Leadership (Independence, Humility, Loyalty). These strengths can lead to successful careers, and this applies to leaders, too.

Introverted leaders excel in deep thinking, listening, and empathy—qualities essential for understanding and motivating teams. By embracing their temperament, they can create a reflective and considerate leadership style.

“It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.” – Seneca, Letters from a Stoic

This quote underscores the importance of contentment and self-acceptance, which is key for introverted leaders to embrace their own leadership style and not try to emulate extroverts.

Historical Example: Marcus Aurelius, a Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher, was known for his reflective leadership style. His introspective writings in Meditations provide insight into his approach to self-improvement and governance, emphasizing the importance of inner peace and rational thought.

2. Lead With Wisdom And Courage

Wisdom comes from understanding what is within your control and what is not. Too often, leaders waste time on things not under their control and neglect the things they should do. Keep in mind that your primary goal is to get things done and lead others.

This means you need to be in front of your team, available for their questions, and mentor and coach them so they can be the best versions of themselves. If you spend your time sitting in endless meetings or hidden in your office, you are failing at being a leader.

Courage means that you stick with your principles even when they may seem inconvenient to others. You won’t be believable as a leader people would rally around if they see you can’t even follow your own principles, or worse, if you don’t have any.

Focus on influencing areas within your control—such as your responses, decisions, and leadership approach—while accepting external circumstances with calmness and clarity. Understand that you can’t lead others if you are unable to lead yourself.

“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Marcus Aurelius highlights the essence of Stoic wisdom: focusing on what one can control, a fundamental principle for effective leadership.

Historical Example: Cato the Younger, a Stoic who opposed Julius Caesar, demonstrated an unwavering commitment to his principles, understanding that while he could not control the outcome of his actions, he could control his integrity and response to adversity. In the final years of the late Roman Republic, Cato rose to fame for his commitment to the ideals of the Roman Republic. He saw Caesar as the showcase of the moral decay of the Republic and considered himself the defender of the traditional Roman values and the constitutional framework.

3. Cultivate Resilience

Resilience is built through facing and overcoming challenges. Stoics were famous for enduring hardship, and many of them went through phases of their lives that tested their resolve. Zeno, the founder of Stoicism, lost all his possessions when he was shipwrecked. Epictetus, one of the most famous Stoics, was a slave.

View challenges as opportunities for growth. Encourage your team to embrace adversity, fostering a culture of resilience and continuous improvement. Don’t get setbacks to demotivate you. Especially in times of crisis, people look up to their leaders for guidance. Stay calm. Don’t react, but respond. By being calm and thoughtful under pressure, you will become someone people will be willing to follow.

Resilient people own the world around them. They don’t feel like victims of external circumstances but rather believe that they can influence life events by their own actions. They try new things. They have the ability to adapt and are comfortable with change. They learn and ponder both positive and negative experiences. They are optimistic and understand that stress is part of life.

“Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.” – Seneca

Seneca’s words encourage leaders to view challenges as opportunities for growth and building resilience.

Historical Example: Seneca, an advisor to Emperor Nero, faced numerous personal and political challenges. His influence on Nero is visible in the early policies that Nero enacted. Seneca was also able to mitigate some of Nero’s impulsive tendencies. However, as Nero became older and more confident in his rule, he saw Seneca with more and more suspicion. Ultimately, after a failed plot to overthrow Nero in 65 AD, and even though there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of Seneca’s involvement, Nero used it as a pretext to order Seneca’s death. Seneca faced it with composure, and after receiving Nero’s order, he said goodbye to his friends and family and cut his veins. His writings on Stoicism emphasize the strength found in enduring hardships and the power of a calm mind.

4. Practice Empathy

Understanding and sharing the feelings of others is crucial for human connection. You can’t lead others if you don’t understand what makes them tick. You need to be able to understand every person on your team and how to work with them to allow them to do their best. Each of us is different, and each of us needs a different approach when being led.

Use your natural introverted skill of listening to truly understand your team’s needs and perspectives. This builds trust and strengthens team cohesion. As a society, we have stopped listening to each other, and that is a pity. True listening is difficult, but introverts are generally pretty good at it. When you are in a leadership role, you may feel that you are expected to talk first and tell others what to do. Don’t. Learn to listen first. Talk only when you have something meaningful to say.

“Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.” – Epictetus

By embodying empathy and understanding, leaders can connect with their teams on a deeper level.

Historical Example: Epictetus taught the importance of understanding others and the role of empathy in human relationships, advocating for leaders to listen and connect with their followers on a deeper level. Epictetus was born into slavery, but even someone like the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the most powerful man of his time, was fond of his teachings and followed the advice Epictetus preached and lived according to the Stoic teachings.

5. Foster Autonomy And Accountability

Freedom and responsibility go hand in hand. Freedom doesn’t mean only being free from the oppression of others but also from the oppression of your own mind. Providing autonomy to the team gives them freedom to perform the task the way they see fit. You then need to get comfortable with that fact and understand that once you delegate something to others, it is no longer under your control, and you should stop obsessing about it. If you stay attached to the task, it will only lead to micromanaging others.

Empower your team by delegating tasks and promoting ownership of projects. This encourages personal and professional growth within the team.

“Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.” – Epictetus

This principle of autonomy and personal responsibility is essential for empowering teams. As Epictetus suggests, if you want to be free, you need to be able to let go of things that are not under your control.

Historical Example: With a vast empire to rule, Marcus Aurelius allowed his generals, notably Gaius Avidius Cassius, Marcus Claudius Fronto, and Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus, significant autonomy, trusting their expertise and judgment. This delegation fostered a sense of responsibility, contributing to the success of his reign. It should be noted that Avidius Cassius eventually tried to usurp the rule from Marcus Aurelius when he believed him dead. There is probably a lesson to be learned there, too. Provide autonomy, but don’t be an absent leader. At the end of the day, you are still having a responsibility to lead your team.

6. Communicate Effectively

Clear and honest communication is essential for understanding. Communication shouldn’t be efficient. It should be effective. Any information you want to share should be actually informative, as people expect to learn. It should be truthful, so don’t say things that you don’t have evidence for. It should be relevant so the important things don’t get buried under a ton of nonsense, and it should be clear.

As an introverted leader, focus on clear, concise, and meaningful communication. Prioritize listening and encourage open dialogue within your team.

“The reason why we have two ears and only one mouth is that we may listen the more and talk the less.” – Zeno of Citium as quoted by Diogenes Laertius in Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

Zeno’s advice is vital for leaders, emphasizing the importance of listening in effective communication.

Historical Example: Zeno of Citium, the founder of Stoicism, emphasized the importance of clear expression and listening in communication, teaching that effective leadership relies on the ability to convey ideas and listen to feedback. Zeno lived from 334 BC to 262 BC, and the fact that his teachings are widely quoted more than two thousand years after his death shows he was able to communicate clearly and effectively with his students and followers.

7. Embrace Continuous Learning

The pursuit of knowledge is a lifelong journey. If you want to stay relevant in today’s fast-paced world, you need to accept that you will keep learning throughout your entire career. Achieving mastery is a moving target. There is always something to learn, and this applies double in leadership. If you resign on learning and becoming better, you are creating an artificial ceiling not only for yourself but also for your team.

Encourage a culture of learning and development within your team. Lead by example by seeking out new knowledge and self-improvement opportunities. If

“Learning is not child’s play; we cannot learn without pain.” – Aristotle

Aristotle was not a Stoic philosopher, but this quote aligns with Stoic values of perseverance in learning.

Historical Example: While Epictetus’s education is largely unknown, he was born a slave, so he did not have the best upbringing. It is believed he became a renowned philosopher through self-education and continuous learning and later in life through study under Musonius Rufus, a Roman senator and Stoic philosopher. It shows that regardless of your modest beginnings, you can learn if you only want to. Especially today, with access to the vast knowledgebase of the Internet, all that is needed is to get started and never stop.

8. Prioritize Well-being

Physical and mental health are foundational to effective leadership. Most Stoics were physically fit as it was part of the regimen of living in Roman times. Today, having data backed by science, it is clear that exercise and taking care of both your mind and your body are important for a satisfying and productive life.

Promote work-life balance, mindfulness, and physical well-being. Recognize the signs of burnout and take proactive steps to address them.

“It is part of the cure to wish to be cured.” – Seneca

Seneca addresses the foundational role of well-being, emphasizing the need for self-care and balance. You can’t help others if you struggle to keep going because of burnout, exhaustion, and bad habits.

Historical Example: The ancient Stoics were often active in sports and even competitions. Their point wasn’t to show off or to win but to practice the virtues and to keep in shape to fulfill their duties. They saw sports only as a means to an end, not something to be pursued for pleasure. For example, Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor, was an avid boxer early in life before he became too frail. Chrysippus, one of the early founders of Stoicism, was a long-distance runner, and wrestling was a favorite pastime in ancient Greece.

9. Lead By Example

The best way to lead is by embodying the values you wish to see in others. Don’t tell others what they should do. Show them. By living the values you preach, you will be much more credible and worthy of following. The worst a leader can do is to ask others to do things the leader is unwilling to do. Very few people would follow such a leader. Even though modern demagogues are able to persuade the masses to do stupid things, just look at any elections. However, few would volunteer to go fight and die while the leader sits in a comfortable office as far from the fight as possible. That is why we adore the ancient heroes and leaders who were the first to charge into the fight, risking their lives.

Demonstrate integrity, honesty, and dedication in your actions. Your behavior sets the standard for your team.

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Marcus Aurelius’ call to action for leaders to embody their values and lead by example is timeless. It is not enough to preach your personal or organizational values. People need to see that you live by these values and you stick with your principles even when it is inconvenient.

Historical Example: Cato the Younger’s life was a testament to living one’s values. His commitment to Stoic principles inspired others to act with integrity and courage. Cato the Elder was a champion of the traditional Roman values of hard work, austerity, and a willingness to make any sacrifice for the public good, and he taught these values to his son. While it can be claimed that Cato the Younger came from an elitist family, he despised fashion and luxury and was often seen around the city going barefoot and wearing dirty toga.

10. Build Meaningful Relationships

Relationships based on trust and respect are key to a thriving community. You can’t be a leader without having followers. You won’t have many followers if you don’t treat others with respect and if you don’t show that you care about them and that you trust them. Building strong relationships is a key to effective leadership. Your job is to get things done by leading others, and you can’t do that if no one wants to listen to you or follow you.

Invest time in developing genuine connections with your team. Recognize their achievements and support their goals.

“If you wish to be loved, love.” – Seneca

Seneca’s simple yet profound advice encapsulates the essence of building trust and meaningful connections within a team. It is not necessarily the love you seek but respect. Others need to see something in you that is worth following.

Historical Example: Letters from a Stoic is a collection of 124 letters that Seneca wrote over several years to Lucilius Junior, the procurator of Sicily during Nero’s reign and Seneca’s friend. The letters, which were probably written with a broader readership in mind, sort of open letters, show the importance of mentorship, guidance, and the impact of meaningful relationships on personal and professional development.

Putting It All Together

For introverted leaders, Stoicism offers a roadmap to navigating the complexities of leadership with grace and effectiveness.

By embracing these principles, introverted leaders can leverage their natural strengths to create a positive impact, drive change, and inspire their teams.

The lessons from ancient Stoic leaders are not just historical footnotes. They are practical guides that can help introverted leaders excel in their careers today, embodying the essence of Servant Leadership through a Stoic lens.

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Photo: Generated with Dall-E

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