To Truly Rule Is Not A Thing Within The Reach Of The First Comer

Leadership is too often confused with simple power obtained from the ready, in the shadow of the pleasure that can be obtained by dominating others.

While Abedu was preparing his revenge and his future, Snefru had summoned Cheops to his palace. The prince came without delay at his father's call. Snefru did not receive him in the throne room, in public, in front of the Court, but in a more secure part of the palace. After hearing the news about his son's children and wives, the king said:

- Cheops, son, I confirm to you again, without officially declaring it, that you are the heir to the throne of the Two Kingdoms. You will one day follow me in the leadership of this country, which is not a comfortable position and no sinecure. No, my son, do not think that by bequeathing you the crown I am giving you a beautiful gift, for nothing is more difficult to assume than the leadership of men. Everyone thinks they are capable of such a thing, but in reality it is because they too often confuse mere royal power - and the pleasure it can procure by dominating others - with the duties of a king, whose noble duty it is to let justice and prosperity reign over his people. The rest is very simple, but to really rule is not a thing within the reach of the first comer.

- Father, master, interrupted Cheops, what do you mean by saying that a servant, too zealous to defend you, killed your aggressor?

Reflecting on the difficulty of acting in various cases, how would you balance the need for justice with the risk of acting on assumptions?

- You see, son, the soldier who had assaulted me was running away, he couldn't hurt me anymore and, thinking about it, I thought it would have been easy for him to be caught or, in any case, to be found. Why did this soldier react so promptly and needlessly, depriving me with a gesture of such a precious witness? So I inquired and found out that this soldier was seconded from Udji's troop brought from Buro and the cities North of Udji. I wondered then if that soldier - an officer - struck him with the spear to shut the mouth of the aggressor forever

However, this is all just conjecture, and I have no good reason to arrest that man and try to wrest from him the real reason for his act, because I could be wrong and he could have acted in good faith. And I wouldn't even want, through such a gesture, to let it be thought that I could suspect Udji in the slightest. You can thus see how limited the king's power is, how he must take into account all other powers, all susceptibilities, this living god, this son of Horus.

How would you approach the moral and strategic dilemma of a leader who must decide between direct action and caution, so as not to undermine his own position by reckless actions?

Now, when I think of it, I am faced with such a great number of enemies, with men likely to wish me dead, from the priests of Ptah to the chiefs of the various clans of the upland, not yet entirely subjugated, that I do not I can pronounce, nor can I bring such powerful dignitaries to trial.

Because we are threatened by so many unknown enemies, we must defend ourselves, you and your brother Rahotep must unite. I want to entrust him with the command of the troops. He is your ally, he works to defend our throne. I ordered him to form a real army, a permanent, strong army, under the command of one chief, himself, and of course, the king. In this way we can counterbalance the power of the clan chiefs, that of the captains of the troops that are provided to us by the great cities of the kingdom.

A true leader recognizes that his power is restricted not only by laws, but also by the perceptions and actions of those around him.

To truly rule is not a thing within the reach of the first comer, for in a state there are challenges and responsibilities which must protect you not only from external enemies, but also from internal intrigues. How do you perceive the role of alliances and loyalties in consolidating the power you hold, especially in a political environment full of rivalries and tensions?

* Note: Guy Rachet - Cheops and the Ibis conjuration, Lucman Publishing House, 2003