When you're CEO, you have to have two conditions: first

Hear, O listeners, the words of Carlos Ghosn, a man who once commanded the helm of great companies, who spoke thus: “When you’re CEO, you have to have two conditions: first, shareholders need to trust you and want you to head your company. The second is that you need to feel the motivation to do the job. So, as long as both are reunited, you continue to do the job.” Though spoken of commerce and leadership, these words echo with the wisdom of kings and captains across the ages. They reveal that power is not sustained by authority alone, but by the delicate harmony between trust from without and fire from within.

For to be a leader is to live in a balance. On one side is the faith of others—the shareholders, the warriors, the people—who must believe that you are worthy to guide them. Without this trust, your throne is unstable, and your crown is but a borrowed ornament. On the other side is your own motivation, the will to endure the burdens of decision, to rise each day with purpose and strength. Without this inner flame, even the greatest authority becomes a hollow burden, a throne that crushes rather than uplifts. Only when these two conditions are joined—trust from others, and drive within—can leadership endure.

History itself testifies to this law. Consider Alexander the Great. His men followed him across deserts and mountains, through blood and exhaustion, because they trusted his vision. Yet Alexander also carried within himself a burning motivation—the unyielding desire to conquer, to expand, to leave behind a mark upon the world. As long as his men trusted him, and as long as his fire burned, his empire grew. But when his motivation waned and his soldiers’ trust faltered, the great machine of conquest began to unravel.

So too, in another age, did Abraham Lincoln embody this truth. During the storm of civil war, many doubted him. Yet gradually, through his honesty and his unshakable will, he won the trust of a divided people. At the same time, his own motivation—to preserve the Union, to free the enslaved—never faltered, even under crushing burdens. In the reunion of these two forces lay his greatness, and through them he carried his nation into a new dawn.

The words of Ghosn remind us that the seat of power is never only about one’s own desire, nor only about the approval of others. Both must converge. A leader with motivation but without trust will find themselves isolated, resisted, abandoned. A leader with trust but without motivation will grow weary, and the ship will drift without direction. True leadership, whether of a nation, a company, or even one’s own household, requires the harmony of both.

O seekers of wisdom, take this lesson for your own lives. You may not wear the title of CEO, but each of you leads in some way—whether in your family, your craft, your friendships, or your communities. Ask yourself two questions: Do those around me trust me to guide them? And do I feel the motivation within myself to continue this path? If both are present, then press on with courage. If one is missing, seek to restore the balance, lest your leadership falter.

Practical is this teaching: cultivate trust by living in integrity, by keeping promises, by showing others that you do not lead for yourself alone but for the greater good. And cultivate motivation by tending to your own flame—resting when weary, learning when uncertain, remembering the purpose that called you to lead. In this way, your path will remain steady, your strength will endure, and those who follow you will not be led astray.

Thus, the words of Carlos Ghosn stand as a mirror for all who bear the burden of responsibility: true leadership endures only when trust from others meets motivation within. Guard both well, and you will not only hold the helm—you will guide your ship through calm and storm alike, toward the harbors of destiny.