The Golden Attribute of Leadership You Must Pursue
The song says, “Everybody plays the fool sometimes.” But the goal is wisdom, not less foolishness.
The golden attribute of leadership is wisdom.
“Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.” Solomon
Lack of wisdom:
#1. Passion – without wisdom – is dangerous. Don’t simply follow your passion; follow it wisely.
#2. Decision-making is persistent mistake-making apart from perception. Pattern recognition – the ability to notice the wall you’re banging your head against – is insightful.
Mistakes are useful to prudent leaders and patterns for the stubborn.
#3. Vision goes astray deprived of insight. Vision, like everything else during turbulence, is iterative.
Insight adapts to the wind. Foolishness ignores danger and presses forward.
#4. Planning is destructive apart from reflection and good sense. All the planning in the world can’t compensate for lack of sense.
(Insight, perception, reflection, and prudence are aspects of wisdom.)
Wisdom defined:
Wisdom is action that brings value to self, relationships, and the community at large*. Specifically, wisdom is the ability to bring aspiration into reality. (Assuming your aspiration brings positive value to you and others.)
Some leaders bring value to themselves and harm others. This isn’t wise.
Wisdom isn’t intelligence. Some of the smartest people you know make choices that harm themselves or others. Consider an angry smart person who chooses resentment.
Foolishness sacrifices the future on the altar of the immediate. Wisdom balances short-term and long-term considerations.
Wisdom navigates the challenges of:
- Adapting to existing environments.
- Changing existing environments.
- Creating new environments.*
(I am indebted to *Dr. Robert Sternberg for his theory of wisdom.)
Wisdom includes:
Wisdom, like every other great thing, is pursued and nurtured, not attained.
(Tomorrow, how to increase wisdom and bring aspiration to reality.)
What’s the golden leadership attribute from your point of view?
How do you define wisdom? What does wisdom include? Exclude?
Wise leadership begets loyal colleagues and clients! Foolish leaders wither at the helm.
Nicely said, Lisa.
Such a well crafted message! Really pulls so much of what Leadership should look like and what’s required. Thank you!
Thanks David. I appreciate the good word. Best wishes.
Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Proverbs 1:8
My first teachers of wisdom were my parents.
Thanks Duane. The power of our parents is often seen in the influence of their example. Their teaching was who they were.
What’s the golden leadership attribute from your point of view?
Being able to diagnose what people need to grow and change for the better and delivering the message in a simple, non-judgmental way so it’s accepted and acted on.
The wise leader connects the dots. They see the big picture and the important details. They have a simple message, perfect timing, and an affirming spirit.
Thanks Paul. What clear insight. You also challenge me with the opportunity and difficulty of leading well. The things you wrote about require intention, attention, and development.
“Foolishness sacrifices the future on the altar of the immediate. Wisdom balances short-term and long-term considerations.”
Let us all contemplate this quote as we move forward in this pandemic world. I am wary of the short-term gain for long-term pain paths we are choosing.
Thanks Andrew. Short-term vs long-term is a constant battle for leaders. This is especially true with publicly traded companies.
I’ve hear some suggest that “medium-term” might be a good approach.
wisdom is knowledge applied – living skillfully
Thanks Mike. The use of skill with wisdom makes wisdom something that can be learned and improved. I find that useful.
Hi Dan,
About the author’s definition of wisdom, I would define wisdom more as understanding and respect for the forces of the world. Then your actions would be guided by your perception of wisdom, rather than wisdom being action of itself.
My apologies for nitpicking, but it kind of threw me off the rest of the post.
Ian
Thanks Ian. Your point is well taken. It’s not wise to resist or ignore unchangeables. I find it difficult to separate wisdom from action. Theory is not the answer to bringing aspiration to reality. Theory helps, but theory without action is nothing more than a good idea.
So glad you jumped in and I didn’t think you were nitpicking. 🙂
Ian, I suspect we agree that wisdom includes an appreciation and respect for scale and proportion, which in turn tempers our personal actions and influence.
Wisdom is the navigator
(the future destination, and the landscape between here and there, is the foremost concern),
integrity
(how it all holds together and fits to the purpose)
the pilot
(the present moment, here, being of first concern).
The pilot is ever vigilant and responsive to changes in conditions to course-correct for minor mistakes and/or unforeseen circumstances – and to ensure that no bigger mistakes lead to catastrophe.
The experience and capacity of the pilot make it forever sensitive to the scale and proportion of the conditions, so as to respond with perfect timing, clarity, and effectiveness(as Paul says above).
Wow, I feel like this is a week’s worth of wisdom, concentrated into a single post.
Thank you my friend. I trust you are well.
I have the following posted on my office wall: “Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting one in your fruit salad.” I keep it there to remind me that very intelligent people may still not know what do with the appropriate experiences (good and bad).
Good one, Jennifer. You illustrate the practical face of wisdom with humor.
Hi Dano,
Number 2 is so important but often overlooked.
I always snicker to myself when leaders respond to #2 with something like, “just keep trying harder eventually we’ll get it. ” Get what, deeper into trouble? Doing the same thing ends with the same results.
Get out of your restricted paradigms and think outside the box. Working harder isn’t always the best approach. Try working smarter…
Cheers Dan
Sgt Steve
Get out of your
Thanks Steve. Learning pattern recognition has been a slow and painful process for me. I’m the guy who grips tighter and pedals harder until you crash and burn. I thought it was persistence. In reality it’s unwillingness to adapt and connecting my identity to success. Doh!!
From decades ago, regarding “how” we acqire wisdom:
Wisdom comes by learning from our mistakes.
Seeing someone with lots of wisdom? Have some yourself?
By this adage, If we are to become wise we need to suffer through and learn from our mistakes … if we are to become wise.
Perhaps humility has been and is forced upon the wise?
Craig
Thanks Craig. Love the connection of humility with wisdom. You would hope that, at least occasionally, humility is willingly embraced and we learn the easy way.