During the fifth century, the bishops of  Constantinople, known as the new Rome and the new Jerusalem, capitol of the Byzantium, took responsibility to crown the new emperor in the coronation ritual for the first time. This practice continued in Europe up to our own time, and was last seen in 1953 when Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne of England. She in turn invests each new prime minister.

Now, what on earth do foreign bishops, monarchs and prime ministers have to with business leadership looking to sustain peak performance here and now? Only this: the bishops represent vision and values, the big picture and the long story across time and place; the monarch represents identity and community, the self understanding of the organization (nation); and the prime minister represents strategy in action, meeting the demands of the current situation. And power passes from one to the next, in that order!

This provides a powerful lesson for contemporary leaders. First, start with vision and values, defining and nurturing a rich story that all employees, partners and audiences buy into. Next, manage and maintain their self-understanding and sense of community. And only in that context take strategic action. Without the first two, the latter has no ground to stand on, and no force behind it. This is a recipe for unsustainability.

Here’s the exception that proves the rule: Napoleon Bonaparte, always seeking radical change, ascribed to the great-man-alone theory, presuming to impose and imprint his will on all comers. No bishops for him, Napoleon crowned himself, becoming the emperor after having at one time gladly settled for the title “first citizen.”  He died in exile, a prisoner on a remote island 2000 km away.

Fifth century Byzantium is a long time ago and a long way away. But until it fell in 1453 to the Ottoman Turks, the “new Romans” held it together in a way that was the envy of the time and a lesson to the ages. They knew how to sustain a civilixation. Until they lost the ability to innovate, but that’s another story.

They taught us this that all masterful leaders and critical teams must make real: Vision & Values > Identity & Community > Strategy & Action.

In that order.

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