The Freedom Every Leader Needs

Jun 18

One of the most powerful ideas from Ryan Holiday's Wisdom Takes Work is that wisdom is not merely knowledge.

Wisdom is freedom.

Without wisdom, we become slaves to our impulses. We react instead of responding. We allow fear, pride, anger, anxiety, and distraction to dictate our decisions. We become controlled by the world around us instead of leading it.

Wise leaders are different.

They have learned how to govern themselves before attempting to govern others. That is why one story from this week's reading stood out to me. Abraham Lincoln once shared a story about an Eastern king who asked his wisest philosophers for a sentence that would always be true and always worth hearing. Their answer was simple:

"This too shall pass away."

Lincoln loved the phrase because it works in every season of life. When things are going well, it keeps us humble. When things are going poorly, it gives us hope. When everyone else is emotional, it reminds us that circumstances are temporary. That is wisdom. And wisdom creates freedom.

The wise leader is free from becoming arrogant during success because they know success is temporary.

The wise leader is free from despair during hardship because they know hardship is temporary, too.

Marcus Aurelius made a similar observation when he wrote that events flow past us like water in a river. Nothing remains. Everything changes. If that is true, then why do we spend so much energy worrying, resenting, boasting, or chasing things that disappear so quickly?

The answer is that we forget who we are. Holiday argues that wisdom should free us from delusion, vice, addiction, and emotional slavery. I agree. But I would also add something important. The highest form of freedom is spiritual freedom.

It comes from understanding who we are, where we came from, and where we are going. It comes from knowing that our identity is not found in money, status, titles, or possessions. It is found in God. When we lose sight of that truth, the world begins to define us. We become controlled by its expectations, its fears, and its endless demands for more. But when we become spiritually grounded, something changes. We become harder to shake. We become less impulsive. We become more peaceful. We become steadier.

As leaders, one of our greatest responsibilities is helping others find that same freedom. Not just through knowledge, but through wisdom. Not just through professional growth, but through spiritual growth as well. Because the goal of leadership is not simply to build successful organizations. The goal is to help people become healthier, stronger, wiser, and freer.

Steady Leader Challenge

This week, ask yourself: