THINKING LIKE A LEADER: WISDOM
Effectively thinking about wisdom is the very essence of becoming a SmartLeader! Wisdom has been recognized throughout time and across cultures as the most sought after quality of a leader. Long ago, the ancient leader King Solomon wrote, "It's much better to have wisdom and understanding than to possess gold and silver." SmartLeaders know that wisdom is one of the BIG ideas about which they must think.
WHAT IS WISDOM?
Wisdom is a quality that is easily recognized but difficult to define. To effectively think about wisdom means that we must first define wisdom. In its most basic form, wisdom is timeless knowledge. It is knowledge that is as true today as it was 16 centuries ago and will be true in the next millennium. Such timeless knowledge is an unique combination of experience and knowledge. The 16th Century proverb "Experience is the father of wisdom," is only half-right. If the father of wisdom is experience, its mother is knowledge.
SOURCES OF WISDOM
As SmartLeaders, we are constantly on the look out for wisdom - but where do you find it? To answer this question, we asked the SmartLeaders in our network to share their sources of wisdom (remember, SmartLeaders understand that sharing wisdom is a mark of a wise leader!). The overwhelming majority of our network said that they turn to The Bible to find wisdom. We concur! One of the most timeless and sustainable sources of wisdom is The Bible, particularly the Book of Proverbs and the sayings of Jesus in the Gospels.