Here is my final segment on the Peloponnesian War. Sometimes truth is more fantastic than fiction and Greek history is one of those times. Although I have read extensively in this area, when finally writing down my thoughts, I was shocked by the level of degradation in thinking possible if one does not maintain his absolute principles. One of the main reasons the LIFE Business operates with a Policy Council is to ensure that we  follow the principles espoused.  I remember when Dan Hawkins attending his first PC meetings. He was amazed as the ability for anyone to speak freely when he disagrees with the policy direction. In truth, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I would much rather have one of the PC catch a policy/principle mistake before we PDCA on the entire community! 🙂

In my book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE, I take a whole chapter to describe character, integrity, and principles. Each person should be working on improving his or her character and finding other top leaders to help them on the journey of life. This is exactly what the LIFE Business does, it provides a community of people, who are growing personally and professionally, to aid others on their success journey. I am thankful for leaders like Chris Brady, Tim Marks, and Claude Hamilton and the rest of the LIFE Founders for speaking into my life when needed. LIFE, in other words, is a team sport! Here is the final part of the Peloponnesian War.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

Athens, Sparta and their allies, waged a pitiless war against one another for nearly 30 years with brief respites. Athens failed invasion of SiciIy put them on the defensive, but Sparta didn’t have enough naval power to deliver a knock out blow. The war continued for over twenty additional years despite both sides having little to gain and much to lose. Athens treatment of Melios displays the corrosive effects of the FLD and is representative of the  tyranny practiced by the Athenian empire on its weaker sister cities. Thucydides, in his Melian dialogue, describes the unfolding Greek tragedy. Here is a small portion of the dialogue to convey the detrimental effects of the FLD on Athenian thinking:

Pericles Funeral Oration

Athenian: For ourselves, we shall not trouble you with specious pretenses—either of how we have a right to our empire because we overthrew the Mede, or are now attacking you because of wrong that you have done us—and make a long speech which would not be believed; and in return we hope that you, instead of thinking to influence us by saying that you did not join the Spartans, although their colonists, or that you have done us no wrong, will aim at what is feasible, holding in view the real sentiments of us both; since you know as well as we do that right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must

Melians: You may be sure that we are as well aware as you of the difficulty of contending against your power and fortune, unless the terms be equal. But we trust that the gods may grant us fortune as good as yours, since we are just men fighting against unjust, and that what we want in power will be made up by the alliance of the Lacedaemonians, who are bound, if only for very shame, to come to the aid of their kindred. Our confidence, therefore, after all is not so utterly irrational.

Athenian: Of the gods we believe, and of men we know, that by a necessary law of their nature they rule wherever they can. And it is not as if we were the first to make this law, or to act upon it when made: we found it existing before us, and shall leave it to exist forever after us; all we do is to make use of it, knowing that you and everybody else, having the same power as we have, would do the same as we do

Strikingly, Athens, the same city who fought Persia’s “might is right” pragmatism, now asserts the same “principles” in its contest with weaker Greek cities. This combination of hypocrisy and hubris has clouded the rationality of leaders in power since history has been recorded. Evidently, although many things have changed, human nature isn’t one of them. Thus leaders must remain vigilant against the debilitating effects of the FLD or it will destroy culture. In the Greek example, it gets even worse, for both leagues, in desperation, appealed to the Persian king for aid against the other. Remarkably, Sparta and Athens, the two former allies against Persia, rather than settle their differences, instead sought to align themselves with their former nemesis Persia. Persia happily complied, aiding Sparta with money and ships to destroy Athen’s superior seapower. Persia did this, not for Sparta’s benefit, but for their own, astounded at their opportunity to destroy both cities at once. Both leagues, willingly sold Greek’s freedom and future – another sad effect of the FLD in action – in an attempt to win the war. At the conclusion of the Peloponnesian War, each side was drained of men, money, and mind, leaving them prostrate before Macedonian machinations.

Here is a portion of my study on the Greeks. It’s interesting to me how much history repeats itself. No one is free from the effects of the Five Laws of Decline, thus it’s important to comprehend them and recognize where they are actively at work. The LIFE Business systems are designed to check the FLD to ensure a “no special deals” culture and anyone can climb to the top based upon results. LIFE, in others words, rewards creators, not credentialist. Credentialist hide behind titles to demand rights, but creators lead from the front through serving others. The dream is to build something that last through having fun, making money, and making a difference, one person at a time. I hope you enjoy part one of the Peloponnesian War.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

With Corinth actively for war, Sparta, as the leader of the Peloponnesian league, still held back. There were conflicting opinions within Spartan leadership. On one side, King Archidamus strongly opposed war, believing the confederacy, in its present condition, needed time before it was ready to face the Athenians. On the other side, Sthenelaidas, the ephor, argued for war immediately or he feared the alliance would break up and Sparta would stand alone against Athens. He believed the oppressor must be withstood immediately by actions, not words, for the honor of Sparta was at stake. When the question was put to the assembly – whether Athens had broken its treaty – a large majority voted in the affirmative and war was declared. Surprisingly, it still took nearly a year before any hostilities broke out as Sparta continued to look for a political solution to the impasse. Nevertheless, when King Archidamus, with his army marching into Athenian territory, sent a final envoy to negotiate a settlement, the Athenians refused to admit him. He was sent away without hearing after being told that no negotiations would occur while the Spartans were in the field. As the envoy departed the Athenian escorting him to the border lands, he uttered the prophetic melancholy words, “This day will be to the Hellenes the beginning of great calamities.” Thus, the destruction of Greek nation was foretold with the beginning of the Peloponnesian War.

The destruction incurred by both leagues in this war should have brought both sides to their senses; instead, it brought both to their knees. Even after the plague hit Athens and tens of thousands were dying from this unknown killer, Pericles remained undaunted. At the suggestion of send a peace envoy to Sparta, Pericles appealed to the glory of empire. Historian Evelyn Abbot describes the effect power had upon Pericles’ mindset:

War was a great evil, which no city would bring upon herself, if it could be avoided, but loss of independence was a greater evil by far, and, when the choice lay between the two, there could be no room for hesitation. Pericles then pointed out that the evils which had overtaken the Athenians, however disastrous to individual citizens, left the strength of the city unimpaired. Their chances of victory were as good as ever. Their navy was still the greatest in the world; they were absolute masters of the sea; and not even the Great King could prevent their vessels from sailing wherever they chose. What was the loss of houses or lands to men who possessed such a power? So long as they preserved their freedom, they could quickly recover what had been lost; but if they became the servants of others, they would lose not freedom only, but all that freedom brings with it. Their ancestors had won a great empire, were they unable even to maintain it ? Far be such a disgrace from them! It was the possession of this great empire which made the position so critical. ” Do not imagine,” Pericles said, “that you are fighting for a simple issue, freedom or slavery. You have an empire to lose; you are exposed to the hatred into which your imperial policy has brought you. Your empire is a tyranny, which in the opinion of mankind has been unjustly acquired, and which you cannot safely surrender. It is too late to play the honest man ; and those who advise such a policy will bring the state to ruin.”

“No! we must hold on our way, and tread the path of glory. Our city has the greatest name in all the world because she has never yielded to misfortunes, but has sacrificed more lives and endured severer hardships in war than any other; wherefore also she has the greatest power of any state up to this day, and the memory of her glory will always survive. Even if we shall be compelled at last to abate somewhat of our greatness (for all things have their time of growth and decay) yet will the recollection live, that of all Hellenes, we ruled over the greatest number of Hellenic subjects, that we withstood our enemies whether single or united, in the most terrible wars, and that we were the inhabitants of a city endowed with every sort of wealth and greatness. The indolent may indeed find fault, but the man of action will seek to rival us, and he who is less fortunate will envy us. To be hateful and offensive has ever been at the time the fate of those who have aspired to empire. But he judges well who accepts unpopularity in a great cause. Hatred does not last long, and, besides the immediate splendor of great actions, the renown of them endures forever in men’s memories. Looking forward to such future glory and present avoidance of dishonor, make an effort now and secure both. Let no herald be sent to the Lacedaemonians, and do not let them know that you are depressed by your sufferings. For the greatest states and the greatest men, when misfortunes come, are the least depressed in spirit and the most resolute in action.” 

Lord Acton stated, “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In reality, power reveals the corruption already within people. Pericles, when given a choice between enjoying peace as one of the leading city-states of a free Hellas, but without absolute power, or destructive war with the possibility of becoming the most powerful city-state with absolute power, he resolutely chose the latter.

Greeks & Persians at Marathon

Here is some research I am doing on the ancient Greeks and their love of freedom. How a small band of freedom-loving people stood and conquered the mighty Persian empire only to destroy one another in bloody civil wars is one of the keys to political science. In fact, the Five Laws of Decline (FLD), which I teach in my Top 100 All-Time Best Leadership Book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE, predict the downfall of the Greeks.  The goal of the LIFE business is to prohibit the growth of the FLD through a performance-based culture where no special deals are allowed. Everyone is paid as they perform—period!

Harry Truman once said, “There is nothing new under the sun, only the history you do not know.” One of our goals in LIFE is to learn and apply the lessons of history so we don’t repeat its mistakes. Enjoy the article and please share how you avoid the growth of the Five Laws of Decline in your company.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

In 481 BC, 10,000 Athenian warriors at Marathon blocked a Persian army rumored to be over 100,000 strong. Indeed, the Persians were the conquering force of the ancient world, having amassed an empire that included modern day Iran, Iraq, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Turkey, and many more. In contrast, the entire Greek peninsula and islands added together are about 2/3 the size of Portugal. Moreover, the Persians were believed to be invincible in military expeditions, having recently conquered the Ionian Greeks (on the western tip of modern day Turkey) before invading the Greek mainland. In fact, no Greek state had successfully withstood the advance of Persia and many of the mainland Greek states had succumbed to the “earth and water” tribute demanded by Persia signifying Greek subjection to the Persian King. Nonetheless, the Athenian hoplites marched over 26 miles to the plains of Marathon to defend their precious freedoms from Persian tyranny while their families awaited word in Athens.

The ancient Greeks are unique when compared to the Asian people of Persia and Egypt. In truth, the “earth and water” demanded by the Persian King wasn’t entirely unpalatable, allowing the Greeks to live peacefully if they paid their tax tribute and provided military help when the Persian King desired to conquer more territory. While many races and countries chose enslavement and peace, the Greeks, led by Sparta and Athens, chose liberty or death. Politically, because of the unique geography of Greece – no navigable rivers and mountains physically separating communities – instead of one national government ruling over smaller units of sovereignty, Greece consisted of numerous city-state sovereignties that confederated together for defense, religious ceremonies, and sporting competitions. While the rest of the world worshiped God-like kings, surrendering their freedoms like ants within a colony. The Greeks, who lived too close to their kings to be fooled, pledged loyalty instead to their cities and structured monarchies, aristocracies, or even democracies for the benefit of the polis, not the political leader. By separating their religion from their King, the Greeks began to see each other as equals before the city-state’s laws, not serfs before God’s regent on earth. The effect of this revolutionary mindset is what led the Athenian’s to fight at Marathon. In other words, they valued their freedoms more than they valued living under slavery.

The Athenian Greeks defeated the Persians on the plains of Marathon, thanks to the courageous leadership of Miltiades.  Several years later, the Greeks confederation defeated the Persians again in the naval battle at Salamis, capitalizing on the leadership strategy of another Athenian hero, Themistocles. Rarely, does one find a people like the Athenians, who willingly surrendered their city to Persian destruction, taking the citizens to the island of Salamis and the men into the ships to defend their city-less country. The Greeks didn’t just speak about the value of freedom; they lived it out in their lives. With the final defeat of the Persians on the Boetian plains, led by the Spartan King Pausanius, the Greeks were finally safe from Persian tyranny. Freedom loving people conquered against overwhelming odds thanks to great courage, leadership, and strategy. But this happy story doesn’t end so well. The Greeks, who had so bravely united to defend Greece, ended up destroying one another in a series of fratricidal wars that left mainland Greece exhausted and vulnerable to Macedonian empire building.

What went wrong? How could a people who valued freedom so highly destroy one another, consequently, losing their freedom? The answer is the Five Laws of Decline. The Greeks were the first people to quest after political concord. History has proven concord is a difficult objective since it lies between the Scylla and Charybdis, rocks of chaos on one side and coercion on the other. Before Greece, the history of human civilization is a litany of kings using absolute power to enforce obedient submission of his subjects or lack of absolute power creating chaos and war until a King built enough power to rule his subjects again. Accordingly, in studying the Greek failures, keep in mind that, in the history of the West, this was the first community to attempt a political solution of concord between chaos and coercion. With no historical precedents before them, the Greeks sailed blindly into uncharted seas, confident that they could solve human civilization’s dilemma. After all, hadn’t they just defeated an alleged invincible power and displayed a fierce defense of freedom and all it entails?

Tony and Sharon Hoffman have earned their freedom through faith, hard work, and perseverance. Few couples have worked as hard as Tony and Sharon to get free from their jobs in order to pursue their destiny. Recently achieving Round Table level, Tony ended his employment as a school vice-principal and is now focused on going Policy Council. The LIFE Business is changing people lives through world-class success training. The compensated community is getting people job-optional and the leaders are changing communities one person at a time.

The dream is alive and well for those who build depth, build numbers, and build volume though power-player. What dream is alive in your soul? Isn’t it time you lived the life you always wanted? Here is a wonderful video that Denny Smith made of Tony’s freedom day. Can you imagine your freedom day? Make 2012 your year.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward