Thucycices: On Leadership (Nicias) 8/30/17

Nicias: diplomat, strategos, politician, warrior, * Thucydides, on the "Peloponnesian War," 431-404 BCE, teaches leadership throughout his history. So far we have looked at Brasidas, Cleon, Pericles, King Archidamus, Alcibiades, Thucydides himself and now Nicias. Nicias, like most of the leaders of his time, was from an aristocratic family; part of the cultural elite, but unlike his political opponents he usually favored peace (which is interesting since his name means "nike" victory). He first opposed Pericles action of ending the treaty that triggered the war and later opposed Alcibiades who argued to continue the war following the death of Pericles. Perhaps the most important moment of the war was when Nicias, hoping to thwart the decision to send troops to Sicily, suggested a "poison pill," in order to kill the idea. Instead of opposing the plan outright he recommended the Athenians send a huge amount of troops, believing this would cause the Athenians to reject the idea. Instead, to quote Wilson, "His opposition to Alcibiades's ambitious plans for the Sicilian expedition backfired; he became a victim of his own rhetorical sleight-of-hand and ended up as commander of the expedition."* Far more than a reluctant warrior; Nicias was now the leader of a whole new front in a war he opposed from the beginning. Things went from bad to worse in their attack, siege and attempted escape from Syracuse, the Sicilian capital, including a lunar eclipse just as the Athenians attempted to make their escape (which Nicias believed to be a bad omen). In the end, Nicias' entire force was either killed or captured and enslaved. The Athenians never recovered from this loss and it signaled the beginning of the decline in Greek power. The story of Nicias is one of a leader who fought in a war he did not believe in, who took on a great responsibility without believing it could succeed. Nicias wished for peace but attempted to manipulate the emotions of the crowd. His duplicity cost him his life and cost Athens their place in the world. Army Leadership Doctrine: ADRP 6-22, 11-15 says, "The ability to provide clear vision is vital to the strategic leader...the strategic leader must personally commit to it, gain commitment from the organization as a whole, and persistently pursue the goals and objectives that will spread the vision throughout the organization. Pursuing a goal or vision that you do not believe in will likely end in failure. Self-awareness and self-management can help you control your reactions to various events but you cannot "manage" a values conflict. Each leader must know their values and stand for their beliefs. Volunteering to lead something you oppose is both cynical and self-serving. *This reflection is based on my own personal reading of Thucydides, see The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War, by Robert B. Strassler ed. or The Peloponnesian War: Oxford World's Classics, Rhodes and Hammon Trans., or The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan; or The Great Courses, Masters of War: History's Greatest Strategic Thinkers by Andrew R. Wilson, lecture 2 and 3. I highly recommend Wilsons' lectures that really explain and illustrate strategic thinking. ** For a religious thought consider Romans 1:18-25 and the conversation with Pilate about truth in the Gospels (a fascinating conversation with a cynical politician). From a human and spiritual perspective (non-theistic) consider The Four Noble Truths by the Dalai Lama which all center on suffering.