My words fly up. My thoughts remain below. Words without thought never to heaven go.
King Claudius in Hamlet
Speak from your heart. Lead from your heart.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet, a tragedy written between 1599 and 1601, offers a wealth of knowledge. The play’s characters endure misfortune due to envy, rage, and revenge. If King Claudius had not envied King Hamlet’s position, he would never have plotted to kill his own brother. If Claudius hadn’t harbored untamable lust for Queen Gertrude, he and the Queen wouldn’t have conspired to kill King Hamlet.
Envy and revenge are powerful forces. They appear and disappear in our lives like the sun, wind, moon, and stars. They’re almost seasonal, triggered when we’re most vulnerable, weak, and desperate. We’ve lived through, experienced, and partaken in these feelings.
Consider this real scenario: a dynamic, enterprising individual joins an organization, bringing new light and positive change after years of monotony. Within the organization are those who have enjoyed the status quo, reveling in a false sense of bravado because others were too afraid or exhausted to propose anything new. When this new individual steps in, the members are filled with hope and energy. A leader with a people-centered mindset has arrived to make history, restoring their energy and delighting them with courage, genuine empathy, and leadership. However, the former leaders, filled with envy and rage, are threatened by the end of their false security and intimidation. Treating the organization as their personal domain, they plot revenge, poisoning minds against the new leader.
In Hamlet, envy causes unspeakable deaths, by poison or by the sword. The tragedies ripple, just like when a glass breaks and its pieces scatter, posing danger to those around. Acting on envy makes you a danger to those around. We’ve all been envious. Most of us can check it, but some are too contemptuous to acknowledge it.
The charismatic individual continues pursuing excellence, often unaware or too busy to consider the repugnant behavior of others. Their mission is to revolutionize, strategize, and lead with positive influence. Such people are unflappable and unstoppable. It’s better for everyone to either watch or join their crusade of diligence and virtue.
And of course, read Hamlet.