Leaders Are Made Not Born | Keeping “The News” In Check

Jul 26, 2021

Great leaders aren’t born; they’re made through experience and guidance, as shown by Marcus Aurelius’s journey. The conversation explores Stoic principles to navigate today’s overwhelming news landscape, emphasizing focus and emotional regulation. It also warns against the dangers of excessive news consumption, advocating for a balanced approach to information that fosters happiness. Participants can enhance their leadership skills through a structured, immersive nine-week challenge, designed to cultivate personal growth and resilience.

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INSIGHT

Leaders Are Made

Leaders are made, not born, through a continuous process of learning and development.
Marcus Aurelius, a renowned leader, wasn't born into leadership but cultivated it over 23 years.

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ANECDOTE

Marcus Aurelius's Reaction to Kingship

When Marcus Aurelius was first told he would be king, he wept, considering the history of failed kings.
His development into a philosopher king demonstrates that leadership is cultivated over time.

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ADVICE

Lifelong Leadership

Treat leadership as a lifelong journey of learning and growth.
Enroll in leadership courses, like the Daily Stoic Leadership Challenge, to develop essential skills.

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Navigating Modern News with Stoic Wisdom

06:06 • 2min

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The Dangers of an Overactive News Diet

08:11 • 4min

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Trust Me, I'm Lying

Confessions of a Media Manipulator

Ryan Holiday

In 'Trust Me, I'm Lying,' Ryan Holiday exposes the inner workings of the online media system, detailing how rumors and false information can quickly spread from low-level blogs to major news outlets. The book highlights the role of marketers and media manipulators in this process, driven by the toxic economics of the news business. Holiday shares his own experiences as a media manipulator and provides insights into the social science behind why this system is so vulnerable to manipulation. He also offers advice on how to spot and combat these manipulative tactics.

Discourses

Epictetus

The Discourses of Epictetus are a series of informal lectures written down by his pupil Arrian around 108 AD. The philosophy of Epictetus is intensely practical, directing students to focus on their opinions, anxieties, passions, and desires to distinguish what is within their control from what is not. The teachings aim to make people free and happy by living virtuously and 'according to nature. ' The Discourses cover a wide range of topics, including friendship, illness, fear, and poverty, and how to acquire and maintain tranquility. They are set in Epictetus' classroom in Nicopolis and reflect his earnest and often humorous style of teaching.

The Jungle

Upton Sinclair

Published in 1906, 'The Jungle' follows the life of Lithuanian immigrant Jurgis Rudkus and his family as they navigate the brutal realities of working-class life in Chicago's meatpacking district, known as Packingtown. The novel highlights issues such as public health hazards, extreme poverty, and the cruel treatment of workers and animals. Despite Sinclair's intention to expose labor abuses, the public reaction primarily focused on the sanitation issues in the meatpacking industry, leading to significant legislative changes, including the passage of the U.S. Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act.

The Daily Stoic Journal

Ryan Holiday

Stephen Hanselman

This journal is designed to help readers apply Stoic principles to their daily lives. It features space for morning and evening notes, weekly explanations of powerful Stoic practices, related quotations, and daily prompts to inspire deeper reflection and application. Created with a durable, Smyth-sewn binding and including resources for further reading, it is a companion volume for those who love 'The Daily Stoic' and can also be used as a stand-alone journal. It aims to help readers achieve inner peace, clarity, and effectiveness in their lives.

Meditations

Marcus Aurelius

Meditations is a series of private writings composed by Marcus Aurelius, one of Rome's greatest emperors, as he struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe. Written between 170 and 180 CE while on military campaigns, this work combines Stoic philosophy with personal observations on leadership, duty, mortality, and human nature. Through twelve books of intimate thoughts never intended for publication, Marcus Aurelius explores themes of self-improvement, resilience in the face of adversity, and living virtuously while accepting what cannot be changed.

Amusing Ourselves to Death

Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

Neil Postman

In this book, Neil Postman argues that the contemporary world is more akin to Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World' than George Orwell's '1984'. Postman contends that television's emphasis on entertainment has led to a decline in rational discourse and the trivialization of politics, education, and religion. He contrasts the print-based culture of the 19th century with the televisual culture of the 20th century, highlighting how the medium of television inherently promotes incoherence and triviality, turning serious information into a form of entertainment.

The brass check

Upton Sinclair

The Brass Check, published in 1919, is a critical analysis of American journalism, focusing on its commercialization and political biases. Sinclair critiques newspapers and the Associated Press for serving the interests of their owners rather than the public. He proposes reforms to address these issues, including laws to ensure accuracy and the unionization of journalists.

The image

Daniel J. Boorstin

Daniel J. Boorstin's "The Image" is a seminal work in media studies, exploring the impact of mass media on shaping public perception and the erosion of the distinction between reality and its representation. Boorstin argues that the proliferation of images and pseudo-events leads to a decline in genuine experience and critical thinking. The book examines how media representations influence our understanding of history, politics, and culture, often substituting fabricated narratives for authentic events. Boorstin's analysis remains relevant in the age of digital media, where the line between reality and its representation continues to blur. His work serves as a cautionary tale about the potential for media to manipulate and distort our understanding of the world.

The Great Influenza

The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History

Amelia Pérez de Villlar

John M. Barry

Amelia Pérez de Villlar

The book examines the origin, spread, and consequences of the 1918 influenza pandemic. It traces the virus to Haskell County, Kansas, and details how it spread globally through military camps and troop movements during World War I. Barry discusses the scientific efforts to identify the pathogen, the failure to develop an effective vaccine at the time, and the significant social and political factors that exacerbated the pandemic. The book also highlights the long-term impact of the pandemic, including the revolutionary scientific discoveries that followed, such as Oswald Avery's proof that DNA carries genetic information.

“Marcus Aurelius did not come out of the womb a leader. Nor was he an emperor ‘by blood.’ In fact, when first told he was to be king, he wept--thinking of all the bad and failed kings of history.”

Ryan explains how becoming a great leader is a process, and reads this week’s meditation from The Daily Stoic Journal, on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast.

If you want to become a better leader, sign up for our new 9-week live course The Daily Stoic Leadership Challenge today! This is a masterclass in leadership with the cadence and rigor of a boot camp. It is also a live course, which means all participants will join the course together and move through together at the same pace to their own version of the same goal—to be a great leader. Registration will close on Saturday, July 31st at midnight CST and the course will begin on Sunday, August 1st. We hope to have you join us at dailystoic.com/leadershipchallenge

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