Epictetus’s Reasoned Choice: A Leadership Cheat Code
A Stoic’s Approach to Leadership and Parenting
“Consider who you are. Above all, a human being, carrying no greater power than your own reasoned choice, which oversees all other things, and is free from any other master.”
— Epictetus, Discourses, 2.10.1
Epictetus reminds us we have one thing that no one can take away: our own reasoned choice.
In each moment, no matter how stressful, no matter the outcome, we have our reason. We have the ability to choose our next words, our next steps, and the approach we want to take.
I started thinking about this idea of reasoned choice from the perspective of leadership.
Imagine a problem scenario anyone in a leadership position could face: a troubled employee, an irate customer, or a demoralized team.
How would I handle these scenarios? What about parenting? Tell me where emotion doesn’t play a role in our parenting, (being a parent is the ultimate leadership test).
So what happens when we encounter a stressful problem involving others? We freak out. We get emotional. We…
