← Impact Podcast, Mentorship with Eddie Wilson
Impact Podcast, Mentorship with Eddie Wilson
44 - Power Is a Tool, Not a Throne | Build a Business That Thrives Without You
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Welcome to the Impact Podcast. I'm Eddie Wilson, here to help you visualize what others cannot see, create opportunities where others have failed, and push you to build empires where once there was empty space. Let's embark on this journey together and make a difference in this world. Welcome to the Impact Podcast today with Eddie Wilson. So glad you joined us. Today we're going to talk about leadership and how true leadership actually lets go when others cling to to what they believe leadership truly is. I'm going to give you a leadership lesson today that if you miss, you are going to miss out. You are going to do this wrong. Because leadership isn't about ego. Leadership is about letting go. Leadership isn't about clinging to the things that you feel necessary. Today's podcast, I'm going to talk to you about a guy by the name of Cincinnatus. Cincinnatus is an amazing leader in Roman history. You guys know I love Empire. I have the Empire operating system. I love the Stoics. But this leader is a little bit unique in the fact that Cincinnatus was tapped as a farmer. He wasn't a. He wasn't an active general in the army like most Roman leaders were in 458 BC. You've got the Romans that are trapped and they're trapped around a mountain in the IQI region, I believe is what it's called. And, and they're cutting off Rome's main forces. And Rome is having a massive issues. The Roman Senate, desperate, divided, frustrated, fighting. They actually turn and they collectively turn to a retired statesman who's actually a farmer. His name is Cincinnatus. And the messengers that were sent to him were actually out looking for him and they found him in a field plowing his land. He's not serving, he's not in the Senate. He doesn't have the robes on. He is literally in the field plowing his field. And he's told in an instant that not only is he appointed ruler, he's appointed dictator. The reason that they said this was they wanted him to understand that whatever choice he made at this time, he would have free reign. He has full authority over Rome. This has never happened before in Roman history. And it's amazing because I think oftentimes, and I, I love this story because oftentimes I've been put into leadership positions that I never desired to be in. It was one day you just kind of wake up and you're in that position or because no one else was leading, you chose to take the reins or you were Just building something. And by nature, now you're leading something. And for all the leaders out there who never desired leadership, who never. Who never passionately sought after the ability to have people follow, but you found yourself in a leadership position anyways and now realize, oh, I better make the best of it. I better not squander this opportunity. This one is for you. This leader, Cincinnatus, didn't raise his hand. He didn't say, hey, call on me, pick me. I want to lead. Give me a shot. He just raised his head from the plow. He just. He just picked up his head and realized there was a need. And then he was appointed. He was appointed dictator. This was his call. This is. This was an amazing story, but I think that it's representative of a lot of people who are in leadership position positions today. Maybe you were in a W2 job or you were in a corporate job, and then you decided, hey, I'm going to step out and do this thing. And all of a sudden you have success. You're a business owner. And now not only are you a business owner, but now you're a business leader. Now you have employees. Now you have people looking up to you, maybe as a father or mother. You never really thought about the fact that not only were you going to have to father or mother a child, but you're going to have to lead that child. And you know, it's not as much taxing when they're two or three and it's more about discipline or correction or teaching or educating. It's when they're in their teenage years and all of a sudden they're going opposite of you. What is leading when that is the case? What is leading when you didn't intentionally. You didn't have a course on it, you didn't read a book on it, you didn't go to college for it. And now you find yourself with followers, people that desperately need you. They may not admit that they need you, but they desperately need you. They need you to stand up. What does that look like? So if we kind of follow the narrative, the path of this story, which I find so fascinating because he didn't search for it. He was tapped on the shoulder and given all power. He was told, hey, here's the entire Roman Empire. Go lead it. You're not only the leader, you're the dictator. Whatever you say goes. And he answers the call. And I think that first of all, you have to answer the call. You have to decide that even though I may not have chosen the place, I'M in. I'm going to accept it and I'm going to make the most out of it. I'm going to do my best. I'm not going to squander this opportunity for you to shirk your responsibilities apparent is, is a, is a sad narrative for you to abscond yourself from leadership in a company is, it's a, it's a, it's a negative thing. It's something that we need people who are in leadership positions to value what leadership means, step into that role, possess it, and do it with dignity. And I think that's what Cincinnatus does. So Cincinnatus accepts the role. He doesn't question, he doesn't hesitate. The, the Empire needs him. The, the Roman Empire has called on him. They need him. And in a single day, like, think about this, he's in his farmer's field. He wasn't searching for power. He wasn't in Senate. He wasn't making speeches. He wasn't swaying aside to another. He was literally in a field. And in the same day, he takes off the clothes of a common farmer and he puts on the robes of a dictator, robes of an emperor. And in that same day, he begins to organize the army. He doesn't sit there and wonder what if, and what if somebody else was called and what if he said no, he just decided to give himself to it. And I think that that's important. The abandonment of, of what was, for the acceptance of what is. The abandonment of what was, and now the acceptance of what is is really important. I was talking to a friend of mine recently who is a, he just took a, a very large church and was eating dinner with him and, and his name is Pastor Torrey Roberts. And I was talking to him and he was talking about having to take the reins of, of one of the most well known pastors in America, Bishop T.D. jakes. And, and Pastor Torre was talking about stepping into his position at the Potter's House, which is what the church that Pastor T.D. jakes spoke about. And he talked about how he had to. As we were sitting there to dinner, he said I had to start pushing my mind for tomorrow, not yesterday. He said I have to stop thinking about do I really want this or am I prepared for this or am I qualified for this? He said I had to accept it and move into it. And he said when he did it, when he chose the path, when he just gave, he abandoned him to himself, to that new position. Then all of a sudden things began to come easier. They began to kind of work into flow. And I think that that's the nature of most leaders today. If you're constantly thinking, well maybe I'm not qualified and maybe I shouldn't and maybe somebody else is better just give yourself to it. Just abandon what was and accept what is. And so in one day he puts on a dictator's robe, he organizes the army and he marches overnight with citizen soldiers to this, Mount Algodus, which is this place where the Romans are trapped. He, he literally just, he abandons his, his place and he walks and he marches overnight. It wasn't like, well, I'll get there when I get there. No, I'm called on and, and I'm going to do it. It's an abandonment to what was. And he says, look, I'm going to give whatever it takes. I'm going to do what it takes to fill my position. And then he doesn't just fight the Aki, he surrounds them in the night and it's a fascinating story. Surrounds him in the night with citizen soldiers. He's not even dealing with the traditional Roman army. He has these citizen soldiers. He surrounds them in the middle of the night and then he begins to, he begins to dig trenches around them and he begins to use surprise tactic or tactics, these surprise attacks. He begins to surprise them. And the Aki or iq, they're stunned by how fast and how clear and how precise this was to the point where they realized that he somehow had outmaneuvered them. Even though they had surrounded the army, they had the upper hand. They now all of a sudden Cincinnatus has trenches dug all around them. He's using surprise attacks that they end up just surrendering. And with speed and clarity, he moves and he acts and they surrender without a prolonged fight. He actually frees the Roman consul and frees his men. But here's what's amazing. That entire process lasted about 15 days total. From the place where he got the tap on the shoulder in the farmer's field to the middle of, of of the armies, beginning to celebrate. And guess what he does within a 15 day period. He, he does not celebrate. He resigns the dictatorship in 15 days. He refuses any long term power. They began to celebrate him and they began to talk about taking him back to Rome, allowing him to lead. And guess what he does 15 days later, after freeing the Roman army, Cincinnatus returns to his farm. He literally had the crown in his hands. He had all power in his hands. All authority is in his hands. He was celebrated as the victor when no one else could overcome this situation. And he walks away. He doesn't use his power to build his throne. He doesn't use his power to create a position of influence. He doesn't use his power now to concrete his legacy forever in the Roman annals. He uses it to build a stable republic. He realized that the thing he was called to save and support was the thing that he potentially would allow him to build. Ego. And he decided to walk away. This is what I want you to understand is that in this, I mean think about that position. I mean you have been called upon, not forgotten. You've been called upon and you've been tapped. And so now you're in position of leadership and you give yourself to it. Most people would want repayment for that act. Most people would want the accolades. Most people would be want. They would want to be written in history as the person who forever saved Rome. They would want to be lauded. They would be want to be put on people's shoulders. They would want the spoils of war. They would want all that comes with victory. And he doesn't take it. What's fascinating to me is the lessons that are learned through cincinnatus through this 15 day window in history. Let me give you the lessons real quick. You ready? Number one. Power is a tool, it's not a throne. Power is a tool, it's not a throne. Power is something that you wield for the betterment of other people. Power is not a throne to sit upon, to essentially anchor your ego into the thoughts or the elaborate beliefs about our own person. He knew something that most leaders forget. Cincinnatus knew something that most leaders forget. What he realized is you don't need to hold on to power forever in order to gain legacy. I think that Cincinnatus, as he wrote about it in later days, did want legacy. I think he wanted it. But I think what he realized is the legacy he wanted wasn't one who possessed power and dictatorship. It was one that stepped into the role when he was called upon. He chose to do it well, with dignity. And that was the legacy he left. He stepped away when it wasn't necessary anymore. Will you step away from the power when it's not necessary anymore? Will you delegate to someone else when it's time for someone else to step up? Or will you build your ego with tenacity and entrench yourself in the belief that you are the greatest and you deserve power at all cost? He knew something that most of us miss. And that is think about what I'M telling you today. I'm telling you this story. I'm recounting it. This was 500 years BC right? 586 BC. I'm telling you this story in 2025 today, and you'll be hearing it on the podcast within the years to come if it continues. Right? And the story over 2,500 years later is still me telling you how important Cincinnatus role was within the in the Roman Empire. But power is not a tool or power is a tool. Power is not a throne. Power isn't a position. It's a tool to be used when necessary. Number two, true leaders know when to step up, but more importantly, they know when to step away. True leaders know when to step up, but they also know, even more importantly when to step away. You know, I get the chance to help a lot of business owners, and I think that those business owners oftentimes possess that power just a little bit too long. You've heard me tell the story of Julius Caesar and how this man was a hero of the empire, but yet is stabbed by his best friend Brutus because he got in the way. He became the bottleneck. There's an importance in understanding when to step up and lead, but there's a more. There's more importance into understanding when to step away, when to relinquish power, when to delegate to someone else. Many can. Many leaders will take control. Very few leaders understand when the timing is to give it back. Listen to me very, very closely. Most leaders have no problem possessing it and taking it. They don't have a problem when somebody says, hey, are you willing to step up and lead? Most of our egos say, yeah, it's my time, it's my turn. It's what I've been preparing for. Okay, I'm here. Let's do this. But when we have to step away, few will actually give it back. A leader is not born when they possess power. A leader is established when they relinquish power. Real leader. A real leader understands when it's time to let go. Most businesses that I come in contact with are having that issue today. There's a reason why less than 1% of small businesses get past that mark of $5 million. And that's because they built that zero to $5 million business on their back. But they can't take it past that point because they're not willing to relinquish power. You know, I. I think that, you know, oftentimes I relate this to business, but let's relate it to Relationships for a minute. You know, having three boys, I think one of the hardest lessons that I've learned is when to let go. You know, they have those younger years and I am, I have, you know, sons at pretty much every stage of life. I have my 20, a 4 year old that is building his business and his life and he lives in a different state and he needs very little from me. He needs inspiration, he needs support, he needs friendship, but he really doesn't need guidance. He doesn't need me to illuminate the path in front of him. He doesn't need me to check over his shoulder. I have a 19 year old that is just getting into business and he has a lot of questions and he needs some help, he needs some guidance. And then I have an 11 year old and that 11 year old needs a lot of guidance, he needs a lot of care, he needs a lot of dad in his life. The hardest part though is letting go. I remember my first son as he was building his first business and everything inside of me wanted to jump in, help him, guide him, corral him, tell him what not to do, tell him what to do, when to do it right. And there's a time where you begin to let go. There's a time where you need to relinquish control. That's the hardest thing is that time period between, you know, 11, where my youngest son is, and 18 or 19 where you literally have to let them go do it themselves. To be that helicopter parent and do it for the entirety of their life is just to, to pull them back from whatever greatness they were created to be. And I think that the same goes with your employees. The same goes with relationships. True leaders know when to step up and then more importantly, when to step away. And number three, a true leader exercises discipline, not dominance. They always choose discipline over dominance. A good leader, when you watch them kind of in the wild, right, like you watch somebody, not when they're being, they know they're being watched. But a good leader, when no one else is around or they're in a situation you get to observe and you watch them walk through situations calmly, intently, with extreme discipline, not with a looseness of their feelings and thoughts, not with emotional outburst, not with the sentiment of ego, but someone who has restraint. You know, one thing that Cincinnatus did that I think we should, we should prop up, that we should highlight is the fact that he exercised restraint. And I think his restraint is what made him great. His restraint is his greatness. His restraint to not take power to himself when it wasn't necessary anymore. Self control is always more memorable to the masses than, than self glory. Everything inside of us as a leader wants that self glory. We want to be put on the shoulders of men. We want to be, we want to be lauded for the success we have. And I'll tell you that I think that one of the detriments of common society is our unwillingness to shower the ones that actually made it possible for our success with all of the accolades. The greatest, the greatest differentiator between leaders are ones who give their followers all the credit versus ones who take the credit themselves. For me, I have such a disdain for leaders who have to have the credit because what I know is, is that's going to be the greatest ceiling in their life. You're only going to have so many people who are willing to come underneath of you and, and shoulder the burden and carry the load and then all of the accolades, all the successes be stolen away from them, all of the compliments of others, all of the feelings of success robbed away from them. To me, I have such a disdain for leadership when they refuse to give their followers all of the accolades. You wouldn't be there without them. So it's discipline over dominance. His restraint became his greatness. And always remember that self control is more memorable than self glory. Self control is always more memorable. People will talk about you. If, if nothing else, self control will become the story of who you are. It's, it's, it's what people will talk about for years to come. Self glory lasts for seconds, it lasts for moments, and then it begins to fade away. I think that as you begin to think through your leadership style, the one thing I wish that you would take away from this podcast is this, is that if you want to become a great leader, prop up those around you who give you success, don't steal their glory. And here's the challenge today. As we look at the life of Cincinnatus, as we look at the life of somebody who didn't necessarily choose to lead. He was asked to lead, but he stepped up into it. He abandoned what was and he accepted. What is, is that. Let me ask you this today. Are you building a business that can thrive without you? It's a common theme on my podcast, but it's so important and I know that there's such a large percentage of ego driven business owners and leaders who will get stuck in this and I see it every single day. Are you building a business that can thrive without you? Are you holding power because it's needed or because it feeds your ego? Are you holding power because it's needed or because it feeds your ego? Think about it. Check yourself. Like, if, If. If you are possessing power because it gives you a sense of accomplishment, that's not right. It's not what you should be doing. And is your team flourishing, or are they just following out of fear? If your team is afraid, if your team will not speak up, if your team won't tell you the truth, if your team hides in corners and have conversations without you, it's because you're leading with ego. You're holding and possessing power that should be delegated to others. So don't just build for power. Here's the call to action today, right? Here's your cta. Don't just build for power. Build for peace. You know, when Cincinnatus went and he freed the Roman army, I mean, like, think about this. Like, he became the savior of the Roman army. Fifteen days later, he's back in his farmer's field and he's plowing in the dirt again, right? He wasn't building for power. He was building for peace. He realized that what he ultimately wanted was the freedom to be, the freedom to do what he loved, the freedom to exist without. Without downward pressure. And then in the end, what happens if you go back to Julius Caesar? If you hold that power too long, you'll always die in the spotlight and the world will turn against you. Think about how many people who possessed power for just a little too long ultimately die in the spotlight. You know, I never want to make this a podcast political, but one thing that, you know, I will say is I am so frustrated with the political system today, both sides, because of a lack of what I'm talking about right now. You think about these politicians that are in their 80s and 90s, who we literally have to usher outside of their place of service in a wheelchair, losing their mental faculties. And to me, I ask you this question. Do we not have a greater group of people? Do we not have someone smarter? Do we have not. Do we not have somebody who's willing to lead? Do we really have to have people who sit inside of our political arenas for 40 and 50 and 60 years until they have to be ushered out? Right? Like, to me, that is exactly what I'm talking about. People that possess power for their ego. They possess power because they know nothing else. And what do they do? They die in the spotlight. Don't die in the spotlight. Build something that shines without you. You know what would be the greatest legacy a politician could leave today is for them to train somebody else to follow in their footsteps and to gladly walk away and put somebody into their place. Why is that expected in business? But we don't hold our political structure in place. And I don't mean to make this political, but to me, the passion I have in this frustrating time where there is no term limits, where there are no constraint on what is necessary to lead, it's a system that is built on power that is, that is propped up on ego. And we lack the common concern and decency to remove people as they begin to wane in their mental faculties. And so now they possess power long after it's prudent for us as American citizens. And that's the most political thing I'll ever say on the podcast. But to me, as I look at this, we have to hold ourselves accountable to leadership. And we must hold those around us who possess leadership to the same modicum, to the same expectation that we have for ourselves. Today on the podcast, I hope that you've heard the stories from the annals of Rome and Cincinnatus and you realize that leadership isn't about being powerful. Leadership is about using power as a tool and letting it go, releasing it when it's time. To me, if you want to be a leader today, if you want to possess a legacy that's worth Speaking about for 2500 years later, you hold power for only as long as it's necessary and you'll go back to the farmer's field and do what you desire to do today. I hope that you'll take those words of wisdom and you'll take the advice that I've given. Cincinnatus just didn't save Rome. He saved us from the illusion that real leadership is about control. He saved us from the illusion that real leadership is about control. Thanks so much for being a part of the podcast today. Please comment, like, share, let me know what you want to hear more of and I'll continue to share on a weekly basis. Have a great day. Thanks so much for being a part of the podcast and for listening today. Love to connect with you further and you can connect with me on social media at Eddie Wilson official on any of the social media channels.