Stoicism in Leadership: 10 Lessons Modern Leaders Can Learn From The Past

Ancient Rome is probably the last place you’d expect to find advice as a leader in the 21^st Century. However, the principles of Stoicism in leadership are surprisingly relevant today, especially when navigating crises and pressure.

This article will take the likes of Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus from thoughtful fellas in togas to guidance givers of the modern world. We’ll explore how their wisdom can help you develop emotional intelligence as a leader, tackle crisis management, and cultivate leadership styles that move you and your business forward.

1. Control What You Can Control

Marcus Aurelius said it best when he said, “You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

In other words, lead from the inside out, especially when leading under pressure. This means instead of trying to control the uncontrollable chaos of the outside world, control your mindset and responses to the chaos.

This is where you’ll start to see real progress.

2. The Obstacle Is The Way

Over to Seneca next, who tells us that the thing standing in your way is often the thing that gives you strength. He called it “The impediment that advances action”, and for leaders in 2025, this can be anything from budget cuts, restructuring, or issues within your team.

These are often stressful and difficult to deal with in the moment, but they can be a great source of strength. So, next time you find yourself dealing with crisis management as a leader (we know, that will no doubt be any day now), consider the obstacles in your way as training grounds for improvement instead of threats.

3. Stop Overthinking, Start Acting

“We suffer more in imagination than in reality” is a Stoic leadership quotes that Seneca is famous for.

It can apply if you’ve found yourself delaying decisions and convincing those around you (and yourself) that you just need one more report, one more opinion, or one more week to make a start. You’re beating yourself up inside your mind, but getting on with the daunting task at hand would more than likely eliminate the stress and help you move forward.

That’s why the most effective leaders choose a leadership decision-making style that embraces action. This means making an imperfect start start and course correcting as you go, showing confidence and adaptability in the process, and leaving overthinking at the door. We're moving away from Stoicism now, but a quote that remains eternally relevant and revitalizing is from the incomparable William Wordsworth: 'To begin, begin.'"

4. You Don’t Have Unlimited Time

This gem is not from an Ancient Roman leader, but ourselves: “There’s no such thing as time management.”

Honestly. It doesn’t exist. You can’t control time, so you can’t manage it. It’s that simple.

The thing you can control, however, is your behavior. Everyone has the same number of seconds in a day, and what matters is how you use those seconds. This means better managing yourself, rather than managing time.

And while we’re at it, stop agreeing to everything and trying to stretch yourself too thin. As a leader, you have to get much better at saying no when you have to and choosing what to focus your time and energy on.

5. It’s Not What Happens, But How You React

Back to Epictetus, who said: “Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view they take of them.” Firstly, let’s assume he’s using men in the “mankind” kind of way, and not excluding women here.

Whoever he’s addressing, he makes a good point, and it shows why emotional intelligence leadership training isn’t a soft skill but a survival skill.

It’s why the best leaders build self-awareness, impulse control, and the ability to reframe problems under pressure. Because reactivity might be natural, but your response is much more important, and separating the two can help you make better decisions. Would you rather the doctor say you were “reacting” to the medicine, or “responding” to the medicine? Exactly.

6. Know What You Don’t Know

Arrogance is expensive when you’re in charge, which is why the best leaders will say “I don’t know” much more than you might expect. Why? Because leaders with humility make space for collaboration, better ideas, and progression.

They do this by asking more and telling less, getting everyone around them to think a bit more - and that thinking might just be better than their own.

7. Plan For the Worst

Back to the Stoics now, and the premeditation of the bad, or “premaditatio malorum”, which is a great tool to have as a leader. Of course, we aren’t talking about predicting the future like Mystic Meg, and we also aren’t talking about catastrophizing, but leaders must be prepared for setbacks with scenario planning.

Asking questions like “If this happens, how will we respond?” can set you up for anything, and this kind of awareness of what can go wrong should be a key part of your leadership toolkit.

8. Keep Your Emotions in Check

Everyone looks in the same direction when things get a bit bumpy. To the leader. Because of this, panic breeds more panic when it comes from the top, and the same can be said for staying calm.

So, instead of responding emotionally and putting others around you into a spiral, consider your options and take the right steps to steady the ship and carry on.

9. Check Your Ego at The Door

If you think you’ve got nothing left to learn, you’ve already stopped growing.

In a world of constant flux, reactive thinking, and burnout, Stoic philosophers can teach us something that modern experts often miss: the value of leadership humility and emotional intelligence.

The highest performing leaders don’t just lead with humility, however, they also seek it in others and promote it from the ground up in their organization. Because when ego walks into the room, progress generally walks out.

10. Praise in Public, Take the Blame in Private

This example of Stoicism in leadership isn’t about being soft. It’s about building trust between you and your people.

Nobody wants to work for a glory-hogger of a boss who deflects blame. Instead, they want to work for leaders with humility who own their mistakes and celebrate their teams loudly and proudly.

The Power of Leadership Journaling

It’s one thing to admire the calm, clarity, and control of leaders like Marcus Aurelius, but it’s another to practice it. That’s where leadership journaling comes into the equation.

Leadership growth doesn’t happen in the moment of crisis; it happens in the quiet moments beforehand, where you prepare your mindset and challenge your assumptions. So, before you tackle the next task on your to-do list, pause and grab your leadership journal.

What’s that, you don’t have one? We’ve got you covered on the My Daily Leadership website with everything you need to know about leadership journaling.

If you need some inspiration for leadership journal prompts, try these:

• What’s one obstacle I’ve been resisting that might actually be a gift?
• When was the last time I said “I don’t know” in a leadership setting?
• What do I waste time trying to control that’s truly outside my reach?
• How would my team describe my emotional response to pressure?

These are the questions that emotional intelligence as a leader demands, not just from others, but from yourself.

But don’t stop with the above; you can download 31 days of journaling prompts for free at our website.

Final Thoughts: Stoicism Isn’t Just Insightful, It’s Invaluable for Leaders

Stoic leaders aren’t calm because they’re indifferent. They’re calm because they’ve trained themselves to focus on what really matters. They don’t let uncertainty shake their vision, ego cloud their judgment, and they don’t waste time trying to control what they can’t.

In today’s unpredictable business world, that mindset isn’t ancient, it’s essential.

Find Out More

Are you keen to explore Stoicism and emotional intelligence in more depth? Episode 21 of the Stop Managing, Start Leading podcast breaks down these ten Stoic lessons every modern executive should reflect on, from mindset control to humility under pressure.

And for a deeper framework to embed these behaviors into your leadership habits, check out our award-winning book My Daily Leadership: A Powerful Roadmap for Leadership Success. It’s packed with proven tools to help you lead with purpose, clarity, and calm. No togas needed.