Quote of the Day: Charles de Montesquieu on Daily Inspiration

There is a particular kind of relief that arrives when you stop trying to “lead” by being untouchable. You step into the room, ask a real question, and listen long enough to be changed by the answer. The tension drops. People exhale. Progress suddenly feels lighter, not because the work is easy, but because you’re no longer carrying it alone. That’s the quiet breakthrough behind this line: “To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.”

Montesquieu is pointing to a practical truth: distance creates distortion. When you hover above others, protected by titles, certainty, or status, you lose the feedback that keeps your judgment honest. Standing with people means entering the real conditions of their days: the constraints, the trade-offs, the hopes. It turns your influence from something you impose into something you earn through trust.

This is actionable in small moments. Trade declarations for curiosity: “What am I missing?” Swap “Here’s the plan” for “Here’s what I’m seeing, what do you see?” In your work, practice leadership as service: remove friction, share credit, and make it safe for others to disagree. In your relationships, practice humanity by offering presence instead of performance. Greatness, in this view, isn’t altitude; it’s alignment.

Charles de Montesquieu earned his authority by studying how power really works, shaping Enlightenment political philosophy with enduring ideas about liberty, institutions, and the checks that keep societies (and leaders) from drifting into dominance.

Today, choose one place where you’ve been “above” without noticing, an email thread, a family decision, a team meeting, and take a lower step: ask one sincere question, repeat back what you heard, and let it alter your next move. Walk alongside someone on purpose, and let that be your measure of greatness. May your influence grow from closeness, and your strength from shared ground.