It was on this day in 49 B.C. that Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River…and launched a civil war.
At the time, Caesar was the governor of Gaul…what is now France and Belgium. Caesar had conquered most of Western Europe, all the way to Britain. However, in Rome, Caesar’s political alliances were falling apart. Pompey, who had been a comrade, had turned against Caesar and was turning the Roman Senate against Caesar as well.
In 50 B.C., the Senate demanded that Caesar disband his army and return to Rome. According to Roman law, if a general was accompanied by a standing army when he entered the official Roman Republic from one of the Roman provinces, he would be considered a traitor. Caesar was convinced that, if he obeyed the Senate’s orders and disbanded his army, he would lose his base of power with no one to defend him.
When Caesar reached the Rubicon River, according to legend, he had still not made up his mind regarding his choice. With the famous phrase, “Alea iacta est,” or “The die is cast,” he decided to cross…and the Roman Republic was thrown into civil war. Eventually, Caesar defeated Pompey and became the emperor of Rome. As Emperor, he centralized power in Rome, eliminated much of the government’s debt, disbanded powerful guilds, launched a massive rebuilding effort, established a police force, modified the calendar…and demanded that he be revered as a part-deity. Five years later, he was assassinated.
Commitment and the Coaching Process
Coaching works because it can be difficult maintaining momentum by oneself. We have all had the experience of wanting to make a change in our life where we charge off with the best of intentions…only to look around a few months later to see that nothing has really happened.
However, with the simple act of telling your plan to another person, e.g. a coach, one raises the stakes and draws public awareness to your commitment… reinforcing its importance.
Moreover, with coaching, there is a process of regular commitment, accountability, and ongoing action. As many athletes are aware, the regular commitment instilled by the coaching process creates focus and discipline. Coaching uses the power of public commitment to keep the client on track, remain in action, and focus on the learning.
Crossing Your Own Rubicon
Today, the phrase "crossing the Rubicon" has entered popular culture, meaning "past the point of no return." And it is used in all sorts of contexts big and small. Ok, ok, ok…I know that it’s a bit of a stretch to compare Caesar’s dramatic Rubicon moment to the mini-Rubicons that all of us face today. However, it is not a stretch to underscore how all of us can choose to commit ourselves to actions that, inexorably, lead us forward. The power of coaching is that we create co-active partners who are witness to our commitments to cross into new territories, stretching our boundaries.
“As a rule, men worry more about what they can't see than about what they can.”…Julius Caesar
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