Here’s a lesson from Alexander the Great:
Balance strengths or they will be your downfall.
I realized this from a History Channel documentary about
Alexander the Great. Many scholars rate him as history’s
greatest military commander.
He was a brilliant strategist. Military historians still study
his tactics more than 2,300 years after he executed them.
A charismatic leader, Alexander commanded from the front line.
Always in the thick of battle and suffering every hardship, he
never asked his troops to do anything he would not do himself.
(If you are a manager, apply this lesson. You will earn
unwavering respect.)
His determination was legendary. He conquered Tyre by building
a half-mile causeway across a bay even after the defenders
destroyed his first attempt.
By all accounts, he was utterly fearless and completely
confident. We are still in awe even after 23 centuries.
But then there’s the story of Alexander the Human.
According to one scholar, his gifts being what they were, he
would have burned himself out one way or the other.
His great confidence led to megalomania. This was common for
leaders of antiquity, but it lapsed into more than public
relations.
His erratic behavior undermined his troops’ morale. Despite all
the victories, twelve years and 20,000 miles were too much.
As understandable now as then, they wanted to go home.
His fearlessness eventually led to a battle field injury from
which he never completely recovered.
Of course, Alexander is perhaps history’s most extreme example
of how unbalanced strengths can turn self-destructive.
So take a lesson from Big Al.
If you’re ultra-creative, take some time to get organized.
If you’re ultra-organized, take some time to be creative.
Balance strengths or they will be your downfall.
You will conquer yourself and that’s real greatness.
Copyright 2004 by Tony Papajohn
Tony writes and speaks on success. Subscribe to his free
SuccessMotivator e-zine at http://www.successmotivator.com
About the Author
Tony Papajohn speaks and writes on success. He specializes in teaching how to use the brain to tap the power of the mind. He has written and taught courses on Ericksonian hypnosis, NLP, and C.G. Jung. Tony publishes his thoughts and findings in his free SuccessMotivator newsletter. His hundreds of short articles cover a wide range of subjects and illustrate the principles of success and successful living.