Greg Burleson
Great Leaders: The Hazards of Ambition
Four-hundred and eighty years before the start of the Common Era, three-hundred Spartan hoplites gathered at a mountain pass to defend Greece. While this statement is the most factual misconception you will ever hear, to challenge it is beyond the reach of this examination in leadership. Instead, let your minds race to Thermopylae as we examine the rise and fall of the greatest politician of this period; and this is likely not the man you are thinking of.
The story actually begins ten years earlier, when the Athenian led Greek allies stopped the Persian forces at Marathon. An immediate wave of pride and celebration swept over much of the Greek world as they had successfully stopped the Persians and secured sovereignty for the city-states. There was however, an Athenian statesman who was the wiser.
Themistocles was a patriotic Athenian who fought at Marathon and knew better than to believe the Persians would not return with an even greater force. In the years following, he began trying to convince his fellow countrymen to begin preparing, but to no avail. At this moment, Themistocles was faced with a choice, he could either stand idly and watch his city burn, or he could lie to facilitate the greater good.
Themistocles understood the importance of having a strong navy. He also knew the Athenian people would not support the spending of their money for a navy when they did not feel threatened by the Persians. It was at this point, Themistocles began telling a lie, using his supreme powers of oratory to persuade his countrymen, saying a larger navy was necessary for trade. Themistocles’ lie came just in time as the Persians soon attacked and led all of Greece in the combined defenses against the Persians.
Themistocles, having proven himself as a shrewd politician, was now required to show his brilliance as a military commander. First, his took his navy and miraculously held the Artemisian Straits to protect Leonidas’ flank. After the ground forces were defeated, Themistocles withdrew to fight another day. At this point, the cunning man that was Themistocles made the move that saved the Greece—he tricked the Persians. Themistocles began convincing Xerxes that he was interested in joining forces with Persia. The plan ultimately worked as the Persian navy sailed into the Straits of Salamis, believing they were to be victorious only to fall in to Themistocles’ trap. In the battle, much of the Persian navy was destroyed and Xerxes was forced to retreat.
Having saved all of Greece, Themistocles was a hero. The leadership traits he had displayed remained unrivaled through Athens. He featured intelligence, foresight, gift of speech, unrivaled military command, and he made sure everyone knew it. Themistocles became very arrogant and quickly established enemies; going so far as to glorify himself by building a Temple to Artemis near his home. The unparalleled success and arrogance began to make his notoriously fickle countrymen jealous. In a collective effort of enemies ranging from Athenian poets to the entire nation of Sparta, Themistocles was ostracized (kicked out of Athens) in either 472 or 473 B.C., not even a decade after saving all of Greece.
Themistocles’ story is one of the ultimate rise and fall in the political spectrum. Themistocles was and is literally viewed as a man who saved western civilization and democracy, but he quickly became a victim of his own shadow. This example shows that a true leader must either care little of personal glory or display no such attitude or face the wrath of those who promoted their rise. Such leaders certainly do exist, with martyrs sprinkling history. While martyrdom is not the common example, it is a sign of a true leader and for our purposes, we do not need to go far back to find on such example.
The Cave 