Daily Stoic 07.13 | A Leader Leads
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.61
To be a leader is no small feat. You must take on a lot of responsibility that others cannot handle. You also take it on with the knowledge that your actions will be mimicked by others, so your actions must be just. Most importantly, you must be okay knowing that in most situations, you will not be thanked or acknowledged. You aren't doing these things for the credit or recognition. You must do them because it is your duty.
“One person, on doing well by others, immediately accounts the expected favor in return. Another is not so quick, but still considers the person a debtor and knows the favor. A third kind of person acts as if not conscious of the deed, rather like a vine producing a cluster of grapes without making further demands, like a horse after its race, or a dog after its walk, or a bee after making its honey. Such a person, having done a good deed, won’t go shouting from rooftops but simply moves on to the next deed just like the vine produces another bunch of grapes in the right season.”↩