Leading Like Marcus Aurelius: Power, Ego, and Service
Introduction
The first book of the Meditations is unlike all the others. It contains no reflections on death and no exercises for managing emotions. It is a list of debts of gratitude. Marcus Aurelius reviews the people who shaped him—his grandfather, his mother, his teachers, his friends, his adoptive father—and writes down what he learned from each of them.
From his grandfather, kindness and an even temper. From his mother, generosity and a simple way of life. From one of his teachers, not to take sides at the chariot races or gladiatorial games, to endure hard work, and not to listen to slander. From another, to read attentively and not be satisfied with a superficial understanding.
Before writing about how to rule, Marcus Aurelius wrote a list of what he had learned from others.
That opening gesture says a great deal about how he understood power. This article gathers the leadership lessons that emerge from the Meditations and from what we know of his reign—lessons useful for anyone leading a team, a family, or a project.
Antoninus Pius, the Role Model
The longest entry in Book One is dedicated to Antoninus Pius, the emperor who adopted Marcus Aurelius and prepared him for the throne. It is a detailed portrait of a good ruler, and almost everything it highlights remains a sound description of leadership today:
- Listening. Antoninus listened patiently to anyone who had something useful to propose.
- Deciding calmly, yet firmly. He examined matters carefully and, once decided, stood by his decision.
- Not chasing popularity. He had no interest in applause or flattery.
- Recognizing experts. He gave credit and space to those who knew more than he did in each field, without envy.
- Stewarding resources. He managed public funds prudently and accepted the criticism that came with it.
- Living simply. He lived modestly despite his power.
- Being steady. His mood and conduct did not swing with changing circumstances.
In another note, Marcus Aurelius tells himself to do everything as a disciple of Antoninus.
"See That You Do Not Turn into a Caesar"
Marcus Aurelius was acutely aware of the danger that power poses to character. In one note he writes a warning to himself: see that you do not turn into a Caesar, that you do not get dyed in purple—for that really happens. And right after, he asks himself to stay simple, good, pure, serious, unpretentious, a friend of justice, reverent, kind, affectionate, and steady in his duties.
Purple was the color of imperial power. Being "dyed in purple" meant letting the office swallow the person—letting power warp who you are. It is a risk that does not require being an emperor: any promotion, any small authority over others can inflate the ego.
Leading in a Crisis
Marcus Aurelius's reign was marked by severe crises. For much of it, a devastating epidemic known as the Antonine Plague swept through the empire. The northern frontiers were attacked by Germanic tribes, and Marcus Aurelius spent years on military campaign. In 175 CE, one of his generals, Avidius Cassius, rebelled and proclaimed himself emperor.
Ancient sources recount episodes that show how he governed under those pressures:
- To finance the war without raising taxes, he reportedly auctioned off imperial palace treasures.
- After the rebellion of Avidius Cassius—which ended when the usurper was killed by his own soldiers—the historian Cassius Dio reports that Marcus Aurelius ordered the rebel's correspondence burned without reading it, so he would never know who had supported the plot and never be tempted to take revenge.
These stories come from sources that sometimes idealize the emperor, so they should be read with caution. Marcus Aurelius also made mistakes; the most frequently cited is naming his son Commodus as his successor, who turned out to be a disastrous ruler.
Leadership as Service
For the Stoics, power was not a prize, but a duty. Marcus Aurelius reminds himself again and again that he was made to serve the community, and that what does not benefit the hive does not benefit the bee.
This view changes the leader's fundamental question. Instead of "How do I get people to do what I want?", the question becomes "What does this team need in order to do good work?"
Five Practices for Anyone Who Leads
1. Write your own Book One. Make a list of the people from whom you learned how to lead (or how not to lead) and what you learned from each. 2. Listen before deciding. Before your next major decision, ask the opinion of at least two people who know more about the issue than you do. 3. Check your purple. Ask yourself once a week whether your role is changing you: whether you listen less, tolerate criticism less, or treat people who cannot help you differently. 4. Prepare in the morning. Anticipate the day's friction and decide beforehand how you want to respond, just as Marcus Aurelius did at the start of each day. 5. Share credit. Give public recognition to those who deserve it, the way Antoninus gave experts their due.
Common Mistakes
- Idealizing Marcus Aurelius. He was a good ruler, not a flawless saint.
- Confusing serenity with aloofness. A Stoic leader is calm, not indifferent.
- Thinking these ideas only apply to top executives. They apply to any form of responsibility for others.
- Using philosophy as a brand. Marcus Aurelius wrote for himself, not to look wise in public.
Conclusion
Marcus Aurelius began his Meditations by thanking those he had learned from, and spent the rest of the book trying not to let power corrupt him. Do his opening exercise today: write your own "Book One" with five people from whom you learned something about leadership and what each taught you. Then choose one of the five practices in this article and apply it over the coming week in your team, your family, or your project.
References
- Marcus Aurelius. Meditations, I.1-17, VI.30, and VI.54.
- Cassius Dio. Roman History, LXXII (LXXI).
- Historia Augusta. Life of Marcus Aurelius, 17.
- Robertson, D. (2019). How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius. St. Martin's Press.
- Hadot, P. (1992). La citadelle intérieure: Introduction aux Pensées de Marc Aurèle. Fayard.
- Holiday, R. (2016). Ego Is the Enemy. Portfolio.