For 2,000 years, leaders have crossed the line from managing to doing—and paid the price. In this episode, Billy R. Bennett shares timeless wisdom from Moses, Confucius, Sun Tzu, and others on why over-managing drains leaders and weakens teams, and how to lead as a boundary manager instead.

What if the secret to unlocking your team’s full potential wasn’t more training, a bigger budget, or even a smarter strategy… but something invisible?

In this episode, we uncover how a single, often-overlooked leadership habit can ignite performance, deepen trust, and create a team culture people want to be part of. It’s not just “being nice” — it’s a force that great leaders throughout history have used to inspire loyalty, courage, and breakthrough results.

We’ll start with a surprising ancient story that will make you rethink the way you notice — and acknowledge — the work of others. Then we’ll connect it to modern research showing why appreciation works as a performance multiplier, not just a morale booster.

Whether you lead a project team, a department, or a company, this episode will give you a sharper eye for opportunities to fuel your people with the one resource that never runs out… but too often goes untapped.

Download an E-guide and Activity for Your Team

In this episode of Classic Wisdom for Leaders and Their Teams, Billy R. Bennett explores the deeper meaning of passion and its connection to resilience in leadership. Drawing on classical wisdom, this episode reframes passion as more than enthusiasm. The episode concludes with a practical team exercise to help leader's and their teams find purpose and resilience. For a copy of the download for this session's guide go to Classic Wisdom for Leaders and Their Teams Episode 3 Guide

In this episode, we’re exploring a timeless idea that has guided philosophers, generals, spiritual leaders, and everyday people through some of history’s most difficult moments:

The Dichotomy of Control — knowing what’s yours to change, and what isn’t.

Check out show notes for a downloadable guide and worksheet with an activity to try with your team.

In this series, we bring wisdom that has influenced leaders for centuries and offer suggestions for applying these to your teams today. In our very first episode, we turn our attention to the South African concept of Ubuntu—“I am because we are.”