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ARE LEADERS BORN, OR ARE THEY MADE?

My father had entered alliances with powerful Greek city-states like Athens. He had also signed a non-aggression pact with Persia in 343 BC, the same year that I was sent to study under Aristotle.

But make no mistake about, once I was King, diplomacy was never really an option. Had I shown too much of it, some Greek city-states would have sought independence and left the confederation that my father had built.

As a result, being courageous and audacious was the strategy; acting with swift militarily might the tactic. To accomplish this, I needed to recruit and motivate men of virtue to fight with me.

This was paramount, without the right men, grandeur would have been an oasis throughout my journey. I knew for example, that before venturing to Persia, I would have to call back Parmenio to serve as my second-in-command. So I did without hesitation. Parmenio had proven to be my father’s trusted lieutenant.

In hindsight, what I am most proud of is not merely being a successful military commander, but mainly having been able to motivate my men to endure so much, take on such great odds, come out victorious and remain relatively altruistic. That was rewarding in itself.

In that era, leadership was a way of life, one that needed to be demonstrated through actions, not words alone.

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