The Rise of Caesar

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Welcome to our new subscribers! I’m excited to have you along for our journey through history. Check out the archives for past issues.

We’re back this week with a leader I’m sure you’ve all heard of—Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar was an ambitious man with a proud family lineage. He was a champion of the people, often at odds with the Senate. At this time, the Senate was a relatively corrupt beast that consisted of wealthy men with the right ties and family names. Caesar was a champion of the common people of Rome. He was beloved by the common people and used this to his advantage—creating a tense and fearful situation for the Senate and its relationship with the people.

Caesar was also ready to rise—and rise fast he did. He worked his way through the traditional Path of Honors, the ladder of government roles newcomers must rise through. This path ends with the title of Consul. Two consuls could check the power of the other. Each Consul was elected at the same time for a one-year term, after which most would continue to serve in the Senate. Caesar was working his way up the Path of Honors, serving as governor in Spain, when the perfect opportunity for honor arose.

The opportunity that unfolded was a quick military campaign that provided Caesar and his men with some wealth and glory. Caesar would also use this campaign in Spain to begin deploying and testing his legendary military tactics. It was after his successful tour as governor in Spain that he made his way back to Rome to put his name up for the Consul in the upcoming election.

Caesar was also due to receive a Triumph for his success as a military commander. As discussed last week, the Triumph was a key accolade military commanders sought after to boost their status. (Check out last week’s issue for more on the Triumph). When returning from battle and awaiting the Triumph ceremony, a Roman general is barred from entering the city. A candidate who wishes to run for office (like Consul) must also be present in the city to announce their candidacy. The timing of these events put Caesar in a difficult situation. He appealed to the Senate for grace to enter before his Triumph to declare his candidacy but was refused. This should come as no surprise, considering the poor relationship Caesar had with most of the Senate.

Caesar really only had one choice. What matters more, a celebration or a chance to continue moving toward my goals? It was an easy decision. Caesar decided to walk into Rome and declare his candidacy regardless of what it would mean for his Triumph.

I love this story. It shows a leader faced with a challenging decision. An accolade that is the highest honor or the opportunity to compete in an election with no guarantee of winning. It’s a difficult choice that we can use to shape our decision-making skills when it comes to our leadership journey.

Caesar was not interested in the ceremony or the accolades he would receive. He completed the task, and everyone knew what he had done. The recognition was not a priority for him. Instead, he wanted to progress along the Path of Honors and into the role of Consul. Caesar did end up winning the election, an event that will set in motion the famous rise and perhaps more famous demise of Julius Caesar. We’re going to take a deeper look at Julius Caesar the leader next week.

Help me work on our October-December topics! Let me know what topics you’d like to hear more about:

Good luck on your leadership journey this week! Remember to stay focused on what really matters. Choose to act on the tasks that move you closer to your goals!

See ya next week,

Rick

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