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Welcome to the Daily Stoke Podcast where each day we bring you a passage of ancient wisdom designed to help you find strength, insight, and wisdom

every day life. Each one of these passages is based on the 2000 year old philosophy that has guided some of history's greatest men and women. For more you can visit us at DailyStoke.com.

Not all leaders are still ex but all still ex are leaders. There was a famous exchange between the Stoke philosopher Musonius Rufus and the King of Syria.

The King traveled to ask Musonius is it appropriate for a leader to study philosophy? Not only is it appropriate Musonius said but no one but for no one is it more appropriate?

What is the leader's duty Musonius asked and then answered to be able to protect and benefit his people?

And you'll notice that this is nearly verbatim the simple definition of what it means to be a leader that we talked about on Wednesday that leaders make people better.

Musonius continued that to make people better you have to know what is good for them and what is bad, what is helpful to them and what is harmful, what is beneficial to them and what is detrimental.

And making these distinctions he says is the job of no one other than the philosopher. A philosopher constantly occupies himself with this very question and has made it his art to know what leads people to happiness or unhappiness.

When you are making others better as we said the other day you are leading and when you are acting like a Stoke as Musonius is saying to the King you are making others better.

In other words leaders are Stoics and Stoics are leaders. Again and again we see the Stoics making it their art to protect and benefit the people.

It's Cato fighting to save the Roman Republic and protect the old ways. It's Stockdale nearly committing suicide because he knew it would improve the circumstances for his fellow PODs.

It's General Mattis taking over guard duty on Christmas so a soldier could be home with his family. It's Marcus Aurelius during the Antonine plague deciding to sell off the palace furnishings to help those in need.

Socrates called philosophy the royal discipline. Musonius says as his exchange with the King comes to a close because the person who takes it up immediately becomes a leader.

And you can't really avoid this taking up philosophy means to take up the questions of leadership. It means assuming the duties of a leader.

Is it appropriate then for you to study leadership? Yes. In fact it is the most important thing you should be studying and it's something you should start studying right now for the rest of your life.

Hey it's Ryan there's just a couple more days to sign up for the daily Stoic leadership challenge. It closes here on Saturday July 31st at midnight Central time.

It's not only our biggest but it is our best course that we've done. It's the first time we're running it. It's got all sorts of moving pieces that our previous courses haven't had.

Including these weekly deep dives with a two star general in the Air Force, a GM of a sports dynasty. Real leaders in real positions whose experiences I can't wait to share with you.

I'm excited to talk to them. I'm excited for you to talk to them. This is going to be a great course. The daily Stoic leadership challenge ancient wisdom for modern leaders is open now.

It closes Saturday July 31st at midnight Central time. So do not miss it. The course begins on Sunday August 1st. Really excited. Can't wait to have you.

You can sign up at dailystoic.com slash leadership challenge and remember daily Stoic life. Members get this course and all the courses for free.

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