“What is Stoicism? Stoicism is a much misunderstood yet highly influential Hellenistic philosophical school. Notable Stoics include the emperor Marcus Aurelius, the hot-shot politician and lawyer Seneca and the slave Epictetus. It stresses logic, ethics and most famously the management of destructive emotions, self-control and fortitude. In stoicism character development through ethics, daily practice and values is key, and it is usually considered an egalitarian and cosmopolitan philosopher that has served generations of classical leaders from Alexander the Great onwards.

What are the Tenants of Lead Stoicism?

• Resilience – “bouncing back” . . . empathy, vulnerability and openness . . . is committed to internal strength, has spine, character and can be relied upon.
• Awareness and Choice To the Lead Stoic there is always a choice. The Lead Stoic is mindful of and chooses their thoughts, behaviour and emotional response.
• Values-Led . . . caring little for the trappings of worldly success which come and go beyond one’s control. The Lead Stoic always “wins” because they do not rely upon the results of their efforts for happiness but the efforts themselves and deeply held values aligned with nature.
• Practice A Lead Stoic . . . walks the walk. It is though practice, action and establishing virtue through behaviour . . . Discipline and application are required for Lead Stoicism, it is not a quick fix or virtual activity.
• Emotional-Logical-Bodily Balance . . . balances their logic, bodily intuition and urges and emotions, employing all in the service of a wider calling . . . maintains impeccable self-control and does not worship at the limp table of feeling . . .  develops inner calm through meditation, state management and the skilful use of cognition. The Lead Stoics uses reason as a tool in an increasingly irrational age
• Acceptance, Discernment and Politics . . . balances the acceptance of what can not be changed with the courage to change what can. They are as discerning as a staunch conservative and as open to diversity as a radical liberal.  They are conservative in their values and radical in their commitment to them. They are neither left nor right but in front.
• Depth and Connection . . . depth, recognising our interconnectedness with each other, with the divine (by whatever name) and the planet. The Lead Stoic contemplates that which dies (including their own mortality) and that which does not.

In light of all of the above and the past several years of dreaming about what the perfect real estate sales firm business model might look like, I wrote this catchy summary of: