Leadership insights of Alexander the Great: Applications in business

Strategic vision

One of the most enduring icons of leadership and power through the ages has been Alexander the Great. His exploits were not only legendary, but also exemplary, as his deeds are hard to match even in this day and age.

As Alexander journeyed through Persia and Central Asia, he had one vision in mind—to unite as many cultures as he found in his relentless campaign to conquer the world. This was the driving force that led to Alexander’s greatness, the same force he used to motivate and lead his army.

As visionary as he was strategic, this lesson is one that every manager needs to learn. A manager by virtue of his responsibilities must necessarily learn to be strategic. He must be able to clearly define his goals and aim to achieve it. All his actions must be in line with the strategy.

Situational awareness

Alexander’s ability to scan the situation and deal with it appropriately is yet another skill that a manager should learn. Alexander illustrated such ability before he invaded India. He felt the necessity to reorganize the army that he had led through Persia, and to adapt to the different climate and terrain. With such thinking, he was able to properly prepare his men and identify the leverage that he needed to win the battle.

Essentially, a manager should also learn to scan whatever environment his business organization is immersed in. He must know the implications and nuances of being in such an environment and prepare both himself and his team accordingly.

Cultural awareness

Despite the diversity of Alexander’s men, he was able to command them to battle. Because he understood the importance of cross-cultural competence, he was able to break down cultural barriers and lead his men to victory. Alexander’s appreciation of other cultures was manifest during his time in Egypt, where he placated Egyptian priests and encouraged their religion, thereby according them the acceptance and respect needed to further his goals.

Correspondingly, a manager must be able to recognize cultural differences within an organization. He must be able to accept these differences, learn how to accommodate and harness them to his advantage when needed.

Foresight

Alexander was truly a man of strategy as he propagated the Hellenic culture. He understood that the only way he could truly conquer the world was if he infused it with his own Greek culture.

In fact, in strategic leadership, three kinds of skills are necessary for success: good management, working effectively with people and creating the future. Alexander showed that he was indeed a good chieftain by building an empire that defied imagination, creating and fostering strong work relationships with his men as evidenced by their loyalty, and uniting many cultures and propagating the influence of Hellenic culture.

Thorough preparation

Alexander’s conquests took him and his army thousands of miles away from home. As such, logistics needed to be managed; that is, keeping the army fed and supplied. To solve this, Alexander came up with two courses of action: First, he sharply limited the number of camp followers travelling (and eating) with the army; and second, Alexander established an intelligence and diplomatic service to scout the route that the army would take, and make arrangements to purchase food from the locals.

Managers should therefore learn to always be prepared. At all times, the manager must be able to identify possible outcomes of a decision or course of action and appropriately prepare for such contingencies.

Hire the best

Alexander recruited the best and the brightest for his army, choosing to employ highly educated Greeks for technical and diplomatic chores. Also, when he was forced to reorganize his companion cavalry, he chose his best and most trusted friend Hephaistion to lead one and another, Cleitus, to harness the wisdom of an older man.

Managers should hire people that they believe are capable of doing the job. It may also be wise to put people you trust in critical positions.

Empowered delegation

Alexander clearly exhibited how he empowered his generals, thus gaining their loyalty and trust. Alexander’s generals exhibited high morale and commitment. Furthermore, keeping in line with his vision of uniting many cultures, Alexander even empowered some of his conquered opponents.

Similarly, in a management setting, a manager must be able to exercise empowered delegation so as to achieve the desired outcomes of productivity, psychological and physical health, proactivity and innovativeness, persistence in work, trustworthiness, interpersonal effectiveness, intrinsic motivation, and high morale and commitment.

Physical, psychological courage

The Macedonian structure clearly shows how Alexander is at the helm of the army’s chain of command. His display of physical courage, as he led his men in battle, gained for him their loyalty and respect. Not only did he have the physical courage but also mental prowess as exhibited through his tactics in warfare. Alexander was aware that such display of courage would inspire his entire army.

In like manner, a manager should lead by example. His subordinates must witness his dedication first before they would follow him to the ends of the earth.

Leadership requires more than just personal characteristics; it must be externally oriented, providing both goals and inspiration for those being led.

Preparing for succession

The rule of succession during that time dictates that the king’s first-born son is heir to the throne. But Alexander died too young, and quite unexpectedly. With a son who had yet to be born, there was no default heir to the throne.

When Alexander was asked to whom he wanted to leave the kingdom—“To the best (the strongest)” was all he said.

Succession in the 21st century

Today’s leaders must learn, in the face of any eventuality, that succession and preparation are necessary to sustain the enterprise. In the contemporary business world, a leader’s reign ends, depending upon the term set by the company/organization or by the country’s law, in the absence of the former. Generally, however, whether or not the rule on retirement age is followed is a matter of management prerogative.

The success of a leader is greatly influenced by the manner the transition is handled. Much like the case of Alexander’s empire, a vacuum in the seat of power in organizations due to a leader’s sudden death could lead to crisis.

In our contemporary organizations, issues and concerns about succession are just as complicated. One of the most common problems is the incumbent’s difficulty of letting go and letting go gracefully.

There could be a lot of other reasons, but what John P. Kotter wishes to emphasize is that: “Powerful forces can exist to keep people from wanting to retire. And when pressure begins to develop to force them to retire, as it almost always does, these same forces sometimes lead men of integrity to take actions that can have a highly destructive impact on their firms or specific people or both.”

Alexander the Great inspired and influenced many management and leadership concepts that have become the guiding pillars of successful business leaders and prosperous organizations. Today’s savvy managers would do well to heed his lessons, and take a page from his success story.

References:

John P. Kotter. The General Manager. Harvard Business School

The Way of the Warrior: Business Tactics and Techniques from History’s Twelve Greatest Generals