Leadership can look appealing from a distance, but taking responsibility for other people’s decisions, work or wellbeing is rarely as simple as holding a title. There are times when people step forward because they want authority, and others when they do so because nobody else is willing to take responsibility. Plato’s famous observation examines the other side of that choice. “The heaviest penalty for declining to rule is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself”. The thought is not simply an argument for seeking power. It raises a more difficult question about what happens when people who may be capable of making sound decisions choose not to participate. For Plato, avoiding responsibility could carry its own cost. The quote of the day offers a way to think about leadership, judgement, competence and the consequences of leaving important decisions to others.
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