Why do we cave to unreasonable requests, and how can we stop? Why do leaders let themselves be bullied into saying yes? Two thousand years ago, the Roman psychologist and philosopher Plutarch wrote a largely forgotten essay on this topic. He identified the feeling we all experience when someone makes an improper request of us, especially when it’s in our power to say no. Even better, he assembled a set of practical recommendations and steps leaders can take to resist pressure, to grow in confidence, and to stop saying yes against our better judgment.
Today, Plutarch’s ancient insights are as surprising, timely, relevant, and useful as ever. In this talk, Professor Mike Fontaine will present Plutarch’s key findings in his own translation from the ancient Greek original.
