Dr. Sean Lyons is Professor of Leadership and Management and Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph. Dr. Lyons’s main area of research concerns intergenerational differences and their impacts on workplace dynamics and managing people. He is co-author of the book Generational Career Shifts: How Matures, Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials View Work and co-editor of Managing the New Workforce: International Perspectives on the Millennial Generation.

His research on generations has been featured in a number of media outlets, including Time Magazine, the Globe & Mail, the National Post, the Daily Mirror (UK), Macleans magazine, as well as on CBC’s The National, CTV News Channel, the Business News Network and CBC Radio’s The Current. Dr. Lyons works frequently with private and public sector organizations to identify and address inter-generational issues.

I was experiencing stress and anger and was overwhelmed by the loss of control I had over some basic activities

How did you become interested in Philosophy?

About 10 years ago I was struggling with the challenges associated with the loss of my vision. I have a degenerative eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa, which is slowly eroding my visual field. I was experiencing stress and anger and was overwhelmed by the loss of control I had over some basic activities. I was turning into a resentful person and it was affecting all areas of my life. I decided that I needed to take control of my own thoughts and emotions and so I started to investigate various philosophical traditions.

I had not had prior education in philosophy, so I had to start online. I began with Buddhism, based on what I knew about it, and that led me to other paths. When I found Stoicism I knew I had found my answer. I read Donald Robertson's wonderful book Stoicism and the Art of Happiness and I participated in his course on Stoic mindfulness and those 2 things changed my life. I dedicated a great deal of my time after that to reading philosophical works and various books, both popular and academic, that have helped me gain a stronger understanding of philosophy. I'm still very much a curious learner, but working in a university gives me the opportunity to have many intriguing conversations with philosophy professors who point me in the right direction. I'm very proud to say that my eldest child is now studying philosophy as his major in university, so I am able to live vicariously through him and engage him in lively debate.

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What’s the most important concept or idea that you teach people?

I work a lot with young adults who are anxious about their futures and with mid-career leaders who are trying to become better at the craft of leadership. For both of these groups, the most important message is to use the dichotomy of control as the razor that separates the things worthy of your time and mental and emotional energy from those things that do not. The idea that some things are within your control and others are beyond your control is simultaneously simple and immensely powerful. I see a lot of people struggling with anxiety and depression in their careers and personal lives, often because they are consumed with worry about the future or perseverating about the past. Learning to identify what's concerning you and determine quickly whether it's in your control or not, or rather, what aspects of it are in your control, is the philosophical practice that most of us need.

I believe that values clarification is a crucial part of knowing oneself.

What do you think is the most important piece of practical advice that we can derive from your work?

A central theme in my work is the importance of values. In my academic research, I've emphasized the role that values play in guiding our decisions about our careers and how we relate to others. I believe that leadership is largely about values, how they are embodied in action and how they are reflected to followers. Values are uniquely human - although they're rooted in needs, only human beings have the capacity of reason to name those needs, reflect on them abstractly, put them in a hierarchy and act in ways that are consistent with them. I believe that values clarification is a crucial part of knowing oneself. I always encourage people to reflect on what's important to them and why. Some values are merely reflections of preferences, but some of them are more universal and reflect the moral and ethical truths that bind people together as a community and a species.

Knowing your values and understanding how they might align with or oppose those of others, is important in knowing how to act in a way that is consistent with your identity over time. I think it's part of our obligation as humans to reflect on our values periodically and to delve into the moral and spiritual bases for those values. For me there is a clear connection between values and the cardinal virtues of wisdom, courage, temperance and justice. Philosophy can really help people to understand that connection and why it matters.

Do you have a favorite quote that you use?

This is a translation of a passage from the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius which comes from Pierre Hadot's (1998) book The Inner Citadel (p. 254):

Asia and Europe are corners of the world; the entire sea is a drop of the world; Athos is a lump of earth in the world; all of present time is a point in eternity; everything is tiny, fragile, and evanescent (VI ,36 ,1).

In particular, the words "everything is tiny, fragile and evanescent" really speak to me. It's so easy for us to catastrophize in the moment when we're feeling overwhelmed. I find it very helpful to remember that all things pass and the moment we're in is probably insignificant in the flow of our lives. The word 'evanescent' is not used in many translations of the Meditations that I've seen. It's the perfect word in my view - it elegantly portrays the delicateness and impermanence of everything.

But most importantly, you need to get in the habit of putting these ideas into practice. Stoicism is a practical philosophy - a way of life, not just a bunch of ideas.

What advice would you give someone who wanted to learn more about what you do?

My advice for someone who wants to learn more about Stoicism as a philosophical tradition and as a modern way of life is to just start reading. There are many accessible books out there by the leaders of the modern Stoicism movement - Donald Roberston, Massimo Pigliucci, John Sellers, Ryan Holiday, William Irvine, etc. The book that really helped me to dig deeper is The Inner Citadel by Pierre Hadot. Once you're acquainted with the ideas, you can confidently read the original works of Seneca, Marcus and Epictetus. I read these books from the perspective of a novice seeking to learn and improve.

It's a much different way of reading than the way I read as an academic. I read with humility and without the expectation of becoming an expert. I read the same books over and over again and take note of how my ideas are evolving with each iteration. But most importantly, you need to get in the habit of putting these ideas into practice. Stoicism is a practical philosophy - a way of life, not just a bunch of ideas. The books I've mentioned offer great guidance on how to engage in the discipline of Stoic living.

Suppose you were able to give a talk or workshop at the original location of Plato’s Academy, in Athens.

I would be intimidated by the gravity of that place. I would much rather be a listener in the Academy. Compared to Plato, or Aristotle or Socrates, for that matter, I am a mere tinkerer.

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Interview with Dr. Sean Lyons