It wasn’t until I got into college that I fell in love with Shakespeare. One of the first works I read was Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, which are both history plays. This quote is a variation of what King Henry IV actually says, which is, “uneasy is the head that wears the crown.”
When you are the king, you carry a lot of responsibilities. Your kingdom depends on you and naturally, this can be stressful. However, in King Henry’s case, there were many things that contributed to his “heavy crown” during his reign.
Henry seized the throne from Richard II after defeating him with an army and throwing him in prison. Shortly after that, Henry claimed that Richard refused food and starved to death, but it is likely that he was murdered. His reign is beset by rebellion, his crumbling kingdom, his son’s poor behavior and his own guilt about usurping the throne. Not to mention the fact that Hotspur and the Percys are wanting to seize the throne from Henry. Most of Henry’s troubles stem from that fact that his reign is illegitimate. And his ineffectiveness is demonstrated throughout his time wearing the crown.
I often say be careful what you wish for. Henry was so set on obtaining the throne that he didn’t seem to think through how the consequences of his actions would weigh on his entire reign.
As Ben Parker says in Spiderman, “with great power comes great responsibility.” To be the king means that everything that happens while you are in power is on you – both the good and the bad. And with that comes much worry and countless sleepless nights.
Today, I see this quote applying to leadership. When you become a leader two of the things you can always count on is criticism and judgement. Empathy will be expected from a leader, but it will be seldomly given. If you are in a leadership role, how do you do an effective job?
I think knowing that you cannot possibly do everything on your own and building a good support team is important. Many times, myself included, people struggle with delegating or letting go of control of the smaller things. While your team can’t help shoulder the burden of being the leader, they can help you and your business become successful. This in turn will make you a more effective leader.
When it comes to your responsibilities, are you a good leader? Do you struggle with letting go of controlling the small stuff?
