THE POWER OF MOTIVATION:
LESSONS FROM GAIUS CAESAR AND CYRUS
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As the great conqueror, Gaius Caesar prepared to battle the fierce Germanic warriors and their king Ariovistus, his soldiers were wracked with fear and doubt. But Caesar was not one to be deterred by such adversity. In a bold move, he rallied his troops and gathered them together to make a declaration that would change history.
He singled out the tenth legion, telling them that on this day, they would be the ones to lead the charge against the enemy. The rest of the soldiers would have to stand aside and let the tenth legion take all the glory. Caesar instilled a passionate spirit of rivalry and pride among his soldiers with only these few words.
ART OF WAR: CHAPTER II. WAGING WAR
2.16. NOW IN ORDER TO KILL THE ENEMY, OUR MEN MUST BE ROUSED TO ANGER; THAT THERE MAY BE ADVANTAGE FROM DEFEATING THE ENEMY, THEY MUST HAVE THEIR REWARDS.
The tenth legion feeling emboldened and full of fire, was eager to prove their worth and show that they were the best of the best. The rest of the troops, meanwhile, were filled with a deep sense of humiliation and shame at being excluded from the battle.
But Caesar's strategy had worked. The tenth legion fought with a ferocity and determination that had rarely seen before, and they emerged victorious from the battle. Their heroism and bravery was celebrated throughout Rome, and Caesar himself became known as a brilliant military strategist who could inspire even the most cowardly of soldiers to greatness.
It was a similar tactic that the great Persian king Cyrus employed to rouse the ambition of his men. He commanded them to spend an entire day labouring to cut down a dense and difficult forest. The work was back-breaking, and many of the men were exhausted and disheartened by the end of the day.
But the following day, Cyrus rewarded his soldiers with a sumptuous feast then asked them which they preferred - the hard work of the previous day or the pleasures of the present? The soldiers, of course, chose the feast. But then Cyrus said to them, "And yet it is only through the former that we can arrive at the latter. For unless you conquer the Medes, you cannot be free and happy."
Cyrus knew that the soldiers needed reminding of the greater purpose of their mission and that they needed to be inspired by a sense of purpose and meaning. He knew the promise of reward alone was not enough to motivate his men. They needed to believe that their work was worth doing and that their efforts would be rewarded with something greater than mere material possessions.
Finally, there was the great Roman general Marius, who was facing off against the fierce Cimbrians and Teutons. His engineers had chosen a site for the camp that was ill-suited and poorly defended. The barbarians controlled the water supply, and Marius' soldiers became desperate and thirsty.
But Marius was not one to give up easily. In response to the soldiers' demand for water, he simply pointed toward the enemy and said, "There is where you must get it." With those words, Marius inspired his troops to take action, fight for what they needed, and to triumph over their enemies.
These three great leaders knew that to win a battle, they needed more than just skill and strategy. They needed to inspire their troops, give them a sense of purpose and meaning, and show them that their efforts rewarded with something greater than mere victory on the battlefield. And through their words and actions, they were able to do just that.