At a time defined by volatility, the question that the leaders are confronted are not if the ground will move under them, but when. Navigating this uncertainty requires more than strategy and foresight; It requires resilience, clarity and inner discipline. For the business professor at the University of Oxford, Karthik Ramanna, author of a book on the direction of uncertainty, this state of mind takes shape in an old but increasingly relevant framework: stoicism.
Formerly the domain of Hellenistic statesmen such as Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, stoicism now finds a renewed relevance in conference rooms and Cisses C, according to Ramanna. In fact, the founder of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, the venture capital Brad Feld, and the former director general of Godaddy, Blake Irving, are among his modern members. But as Ramanna points out, stoic leadership is far from the passive detachment. It offers a disciplined means of remaining anchored, focusing on what can be controlled and by making principles in the middle of chaos.
Basically, stoicism defends self -control, resilience and rationality – not to remove emotion but to act with intentionality and integrity. Managers cannot control geopolitical disorders, economic cycles or any other political discord. But they can Check their response. In business, this means maintaining the pressure under pressure, choosing ethics rather than on appetite and maintaining clarity when the issues are high.
Ramanna urges managers to act less like firefighters and more like firefighters, triage crises, concentration of resources and knowing which flames let it burn. But this kind of restraint inevitably has a cost: not everyone will be satisfied.
“Do not try to manage the organization at the moment of polarization as if it were a popularity competition. Make difficult decisions, ”he says.
It also means mastering the art of de -escalation. It starts with the construction of communication systems – switching networks of people who can cut noise, pressure test ideas and flag problems before they slip. The objective is not only the control of the damage. It is anticipation.
This type of stoic philosophy has long guided some of the most permanent business leaders, such as the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, whose leadership depends on humility, long -term concentration and simplicity. He had advised CEOs in the past to avoid unrecities, ignore noise and remain tirelessly on integrity and the customer.
The former CEO of Brooks Running, Jim Weber, remembers having received the same advice during a drop in European sales motivated by currency fluctuations. Buffett told him to ignore what could not be controlled and rather focus on the customer.
Ramanna considers this state of mind as the essence of stoic leadership. It is a question of understanding what deserves attention and what can be left alone.
This clarity will not eliminate conflicts. But by leading with stoicism, says Ramanna, leaders can face crises early and with a goal rather than react impulsively under pressure.
This story was initially presented on Fortune.com
