The pros and cons of being a stoic leader

We’ve been told emotion is the enemy of reason. But is it?

[Photo: annetdebar/Adobe Stock]

BY Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

For most of human history, philosophers and scientists alike have viewed emotion as the enemy of reason. From the Stoics of Ancient Greece to modern behavioral economists, the assumption has broadly remained the same—namely that humans are obviously capable of remarkable rationality, adaptability, and intellectual sophistication, but (still) our emotions frequently sabotage those gifts at the worst possible moments.

Leadership offers endless examples. Executives destroy careers because their egos cannot tolerate criticism. Politicians launch reckless vendettas because they mistake personal humiliation for national interest. Founders torch shareholder value because they become emotionally attached to failing........

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