Season 2 of the GYTC podcast kicks off with a reminder of what the show is all about and how the title came to be. It's been a three year break since the podcast was started way back during the throes of the pandemic and now it's back!

As well as the origin story to the phrase #GYTC, in this episode, a monologue by me your host, Peter Lewis, the primary source of my motivation and the behaviours that help me deal with life's challenges gets thrown into sharp contrast.

To be honest, at the time, it was the least inspiring thing to happen to me, but now I see how it has been one of my life's most valuable teachers and the motivating force behind everything that was to come!

What is Stoicism? Why is it on the rise? And what can we learn from this ancient philosophy that can help us as we navigate the challenges of modern life? These are just some of the areas I discuss as a newcomer to this topic with John Sellars, not only for my own understanding but also to encourage you to delve deeper into this most practical of philosophies.

John is a Reader in Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, a Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London (where he is an Associate Editor for the Ancient Commentators on Aristotle project), and a member of Wolfson College, Oxford (where he was once a Junior Research Fellow).

He is the author of The Art of Living: The Stoics on the Nature and Function of Philosophy (2003; 2nd edn 2009), Stoicism (2006), Hellenistic Philosophy (2018), Lessons in Stoicism (2019), and Marcus Aurelius (2020).

He is one of the founder members (and currently Chair) of Modern Stoicism, the group behind Stoic Week and Stoicon.

http://johnsellars.org.uk

This episode has been 28 years in the making and an opportunity to dig into what leadership really means in today’s complex and demanding environment. As fresh-faced Officer Cadets, Neil Jurd and I embarked on a lifelong journey of discovery and passion for leadership which we discuss in this episode; one of my favourites so far!

A mix of military anecdote and contemporary thinking on leadership in the modern age, this episode is more than just two old chums having a catch up. Neil explains how his ideas and thoughts on leadership have been forged, honed and challenged by his experiences on operations and latterly as a coach and consultant to the public and private sectors.

Leadership is a simple concept, but often poorly executed and it is Neil’s passion to spread best practice that has driven him to write his first book on the subject and in the hope that more people see leadership as a force for good, rather than self-interest.

“Leadership. It’s about knowing where you’re going and connecting with people.”

Top Takeaways:

• Neil was fascinated with leadership and he has always had a type of leadership role. He believes leadership is a massive force to get things done and he believes in its power. With this curiosity, he finally decided to write a book about his thoughts and put pen to paper with all his findings in the subject of leadership.
• The most fundamental principle is knowing where you are going and taking people with you. If you know your purpose and are good to people, others will follow and want to be led by you. There needs to be an alignment of where you are going and what you are trying to achieve. You need to throw yourself into what you believe in because that passion will bring an excitement to the work. The passion will be more compelling, and people will be more connected to the work.
• In politics, you rarely see leadership being for the greater good. You often see selfishness, dominance, and manipulate in politics to be in charge. These styles of leadership will have an impact because people often mimic what they see. If they only see a toxic leader, they will be encouraged to act the same. Instead, you should try breaking the cycle and providing a leadership style that is for the greater good.
• The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. These deep moral values can shape you as a leader and this type of thinking can reveal what you accept in your moral values. It was all about how to react when things go wrong and taking time to think.
• Leadership is really just about understanding, revisiting, and applying the basics. It does not require a mastery or a strategic knowledge. Instead, it just about doing the basic things beautifully and wonderfully. You constantly revisit and relearn until you are a master of the basics. Leadership is not about higher knowledge, but instead digging deeper into the basic fundamentals to understand the core of it. Treat people well and know the basics; and repeat!

Key Moments:

• [3:52] Neil’s British Citizenship Award.
• [5:14] Neil’s leadership book and why now?
• [7:35] How Neil’s beliefs on leadership have evolved.
• [11:21] Leadership in politics.
• [17:05] The different styles of leading in training.
• [20:06] The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.
• [24:35] Understanding people’s strengths and weaknesses as a leader.
• [29:15] Neil’s two biggest leadership influences.
• [31:44] Mastery is not necessity, but understanding the basics is.

Neil Contact Information:

http://neiljurd.com