Why current business leaders go to a 2,000 -year philosophy

In an era defined by volatilityThe question of current leaders is not if the ground will move below, but when. Navigating that uncertainty requires more than Strategy and forecast; Demand resilienceClarity and interior discipline. For Oxford University’s business professor, Karthik Ramanna, author of a book on uncertainty, that the mentality takes shape in an old but increasingly relevant framework: stoicism.

Once the dominance of Hellenistic statesmen such as Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, Stoicism is now a renewed relevance to boards and supports C, according to Ramanna. In fact, Twitter Founder Jack Dorsey, Risk Capitalist Brad Feld, and former CEO of GodaddyBlake Irving, there is between Its modern adherents. But, as Ramanna emphasizes, the stoic leadership is far from the passive detachment. It offers a disciplined way of being based, focused on what can be controlled and made of principle in the midst of chaos.

In its central nucleus, stoicism champions self -control, resilience and rationality, not to suppress emotion but to act with intentionality and integrity. Leaders cannot control the geopolitical crisis, economic cycles or no other political discordance. But they tin Control your answer. In business, this means maintaining the composition under pressure, choosing ethics about the expedition and maintaining clarity when the bets are high.

Ramanna urges executives to act less as firefighters and more as firefighters, choose crisis, focus on what flames needed to burn. But this type of containment inevitably has a cost: not everyone will be satisfied.

“Do not try to run the organization at this moment of polarization as if it were a popularity contest. It makes difficult decisions,” he says.

It also means mastering the art of de -escalation. This begins with construction communication systems: trust networks of people who can cut off noise, pressure test ideas and flag problems before they spread. The goal is not just damage control. It is planned.

This type of stoic philosophy has been guided by some of the most entitled business leaders for some time, such as Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, whose leadership is based on humility, long -term focus and simplicity. Had advised CEOs delegates in the past To avoid non -forced errorsIt ignores the noise and remains incorrectly focused on the integrity and the client.

Jim Weber, CEO of Brooks, recalls that the same advice has received during a fall in European sales promoted by currency fluctuations. Buffett told him that he ignored what could not be controlled and to focus on the client.

Ramanna sees this mentality as the essence of stoic leadership. It is about understanding what deserves attention and what can be left alone.

This clarity will not eliminate the conflict. But, leading with stoicism, Ramanna says, leaders can deal with crises early and purposely instead of impulse in pressure.

This story originally presented to Fortune.com

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