Sword of Damocles

So What is the Sword of Damocles and What Does it Mean to me?

The sword of Damocles is a fable which reiterates two key concepts:
1. Be Careful what you ask for
2. It's lonely at the top

So basically, the sword of Damocles is a story about a sycophant, Damocles, and his king. One day the sycophant told the king that he would love to live his life for one day. The king obliged him with one caveat which the sycophant would learn later. After enjoying the wonderful meal and enjoying his life on the throne, Damocles noticed a sword hanging over his head held by a human hair. Damocles lost all taste for the throne and no longer wanted the prestige of the king.

What Does this Mean to Me?

Within the business world many people focus all of their efforts on the growth of their careers and the opportunities for leadership positions. Unfortunately, while in these positions, new managers often realize the true stress of the job....and their employees suffer the brunt of this stress. These managers may continue to get promoted never really appreciating that the stress levels are increasing, and their management skills are getting worse. Finally, after leaving a scorched earth trail of ruined careers and turnover, these managers reach the end of their earning potential. This is also known as the Peter Principle.

If you are a new manager and you cannot take the stress, do not prioritize your career over your health and the health of your employees. Understand, as Damocles did, that the dangers and stress of the roles will increase with every promotion. This is a reality that must be understood prior to asking for that next promotion...or the promotion after that.