Seneca: In this very same instance I will give you an…

The best model for power may be a good parent: not permissive, not domineering, but committed to the flourishing of the people in their care. Seneca asks rulers to compare themselves to that standard. We can make the comparison anywhere responsibility is involved. A leader should want their team to become capable, not dependent. A teacher should correct without humiliating. A parent should protect without controlling every choice. This shifts the question from, How do I maintain authority? to, What kind of person will my authority help create? That question exposes a lot. If your influence makes people fearful, secretive, or smaller, it is failing even if they obey. If it makes them more honest, competent, and resilient, it is doing its job. Today, use one piece of authority to develop someone rather than merely direct them. The goal of good leadership is not to be needed forever.