Alexander the Great and Emotional Intelligence

Alexander was a great general AND a great warrior. Not many historical figures have both of these qualities. It's usually one of the two. 

However, what I admire most about him is not his ingenuity or his strength. It’s his emotional intelligence. I’ll share a few stories about him and hopefully you can see why I think his EQ was so high.

Fun fact: Alexander’s mother convinced him that he is a son of Zeus. Yes, Alexander believed himself to be a demi-god, and so did everybody else

*Ok let's get back into the main topic*

At war, not only did Alexander come up with the war strategies, but he also personally led his men at the front of the battlefield. Front is the most dangerous. I don't need to tell you how courageous he has to be to do this. As a general, he could've stayed behind. But not only did he actually go into the battlefield, HE WENT INTO THE FRONT ROW. By doing so not only did he earn lots of respect from his men, but also created so much trust from his men. I mean, if the creator of the strategies himself was willing to put his life on line at the front, he must be really confident about his strategies, right?? We should trust him.

And they were right in trusting his confidence. It is said that his military tactics are one of greatest history has ever seen - he never lost a single battle in his life. 

He also integrated cultures that he conquered. For example, when he conquered Persia, he started dressing more Persian. His soldiers didn’t like this, as they thought Alexander was bowing to the Persian people. However Alexander was doing this so that he is more likeable to the Persian people, making it easier for them to accept being ruled under him. Everything about him was strategic. It must have been frustrating that none of his men understood why he was doing what he was doing. But he never forced his men integrate cultures as well, because he knew that that is not the best way to control his men. 

My favorite story about him is when he met Diogenes (another man that I look up to). If you don’t know who Diogenes is, the easiest way to describe him is as being “crazy”. He walked around naked and lived in a barrel. Look up any stories about him and you’ll get to see how unhinged he was. But that is another story. 

Alexander knew about this “crazy Diogenes”. Being curious, he goes to meet Diogenes and finds him sun bathing. Alexander, who was thrilled to meet him asked if there was any favor he can offer him. To which Diogenes says, “move a little to the right. You are blocking the sun”. Keep in mind, Alexander was a very known powerful man, but Diogenes did not give a fuck. How did Alexander react to this you may wonder? He was impressed. A powerful man, who believes himself to be a demi-god, did not get offended. He went as far as saying “if I were not Alexander, then I should wish to be Diogenes”. I love this interaction between the two because it showed the best qualities in both of them. 

Now even with all this greatness, in the end, Alexander the Great became a raging alcoholic and lost respect from his men. Turns out he’s not some Demi-God, but he was just another human being. His lore goes much deeper than what I’ve shared today, the good and the bad. I look up to him regardless because he is a reminder to me of what human beings are capable of.