Heavy is the head that wears the crown is one of history’s most misquoted lines. It’s right up there with Darth Vader’s Luke, I am your father. (Darth Vader never uttered those words in any Star Wars movie. His actual line in The Empire Strikes Back was the rather less dramatic “No, I am your father.”)
Like the Darth Vader misquote, Heavy is the head that wears the crown has entrenched itself into common vernacular.
The expression, used to describe the burden of being a leader, comes from Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 2. In the third act, the weary king complains about his inability to sleep, stating:
“Canst thou, O partial sleep, give thy repose
To the wet sea-boy in an hour so rude,
And in the calmest and most stillest night,
With all appliances and means to boot,
Deny it to a king? Then happy low, lie down!
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”
With all the comforts surrounding him, in the middle of the quiet night, the king is still unable to fall asleep. Ordinary people do not ordinarily have this problem. As Shakespeare eloquently points out, even the lowly cabin boy traversing stormy waters can rest. So why can’t the king?
I find it interesting that those with heavy eyes must fight to stay awake, yet those with heavy heads are unable to sleep. I suppose the reason is that heavy eyes come from fatigue; heavy heads come from responsibility.
The reason for the king’s insomnia? The weight of his worries.
Being a leader is not easy. When you are charged with responsibility—and you care—you worry about everything. Am I making the right decision? Will my decision lead to backlash? What will others think of me?
Outcomes, potential problems, and public perception all matter to you. And, to a degree, they should.
Because good teammates care so deeply about their teams and their fellow teammates, they share a similar burden. Only good teammates employ a mechanism that allows them to comfortably rest their heads at night.
Good teammates consistently make their decisions based on what is best for their team. That standard does not eliminate the weight of caring, nor does it abdicate them from the responsibility to care. But it does provide them with a sense of inner peace in that they know they made the best decision they could—for their team.
Be it leadership or being a good teammate, wearing the crown will never be easy. Anxiety will always accompany responsibility. Empathy will always be expected from you, yet seldom given to you. Your work will never seem done.
While wearing the crown may be uneasy, it does not have to be heavy. You can lighten the weight by choosing what is best for the team over what is best for the individual, not worrying about backlash, and not fretting over what others think of your decision.
Inner peace comes from ignoring the ignorance of outer opinions. Discover solace in the knowledge that your decisions served the needs of your team.
As always…Good teammates care. Good teammates share. Good teammates listen. Go be a good teammate.
