Leadership Wisdom
Wisdom can be defined as the ability to know what is true or right. A person with good character, common sense, good humor, and the ability to collect knowledge is someone I classify as a leader with wisdom. Leadership wisdom comes from experience, from working in the trenches, and from understanding what it takes to build an organization, create a technology, and lead or manage people. People say that to be an effective jazz or blues musician, you have to live the life and gather the right rhythm and feel for the music. It makes you sing from the heart, because you have been there. Good jazz and blues musicians have earned the wisdom to call themselves true artists.
This is the type of wisdom to look for in following a leader. It is the type of leadership needed to exhibit when leading and teaching others. Whether it comes with experience or from within, leadership wisdom is about doing the right thing for others and for yourself. Take a look around your office, and notice which leaders, people line up to consult with. They are the leaders that people tend to go to for advice! They are the ones who exhibit leadership and offer their wisdom and advice to all those who call on them. They are the ones who become your trusted advisers, because their wisdom comes from the knowledge they have picked up over the years. At times, due to organizational lines, we all must report to people who may not have all the great wisdom or intelligence in the world, but if you have the wisdom to recognize their good and bad traits, this is in itself wisdom.
Your words of wisdom come from your experiences and knowledge, and to share this wisdom is a step toward becoming a steward of leadership.
