Indifference

It can be difficult, in an era of social media, to deal with the judgement, the cancel culture, and the adulation that can come with Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. So many leaders allow themselves to be adversely affected by the feedback they receive — both negative and positive. A good rule to keep in mind is that your successes are never as great as you think, nor are your failures as terrible as they feel. Great leaders embrace the Stoic principle of indifference. To be indifferent means that you will not allow outside influences to disturb you. Being indifferent means that you recognize praise as equally as damaging to your sense of self as criticism, and that neither has the power to damage you unless you give it to them. Being indifferent is not easy and takes practice, but we encourage you to take a page from Marcus Aurelius and begin thinking about being indifferent to outside forces.

Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes.

— Peter Drucker