I write and speak a lot about leadership. I know lots of good leaders. In fact, I work with many good leaders. I hope some would even say I have days where I meet the standard – whatever the standard is.
I also write and speak a good deal about wisdom. And, I think wisdom is critical to the field of good leadership.
A wise leader has developed certain attributes – wisdom learned from the personal experience of success and failure and from the insight of other leaders – which sets them apart from other leaders. Wise leaders are valuable to any organization.
But, I’ll be honest. There are few I know in leadership whom I would consider truly wise. Wise leaders have moved to a new stage in life from mostly learning from others to being looked to as a resource. People seek their input because they know they are seasoned leaders. They are investors in new generations of leaders.
I am going to list some attributes I have observed in leaders who have wisdom. Think in your mind people you believe are “wise” leaders.
Here are 7 attributes of a wise leader:
The art of timing
The wise leader knows time is a commodity. They use sound judgement in decision-making. They have patience. They know organizations and individuals have seasons. Seasons of plenty and seasons of want. They have learned there is a right time to act and and there are times to wait.
Character Morality
The wise leader places a high value on integrity. They know ultimately everything rises and falls on the moral fiber of an individual. They’ve seen people lose everything with one bad decision. They know reputation is hard-earned and should be treated as gold.
Leads with Vision
The wise leader understands the value of a big picture. They keep an eye on something worth attaining. They continually motivate others by sharing the “Why”. They know momentum lost is hard to regain. They continually seek change which will spur energy around the vision.
Initiative
The wise leader is risk-taking and intentionally encourages innovation. They have witnessed a stalled organization. They know the dreadful feeling when there is no forward progress. They have personally experienced the cost of lost opportunity. They want to engage others by keeping things moving, people dreaming and the culture exciting.
Visible Diligence
The wise leader continues in spite of adversity. They tenaciously persevere. They know reaching a goal is worth the struggles to get there. They’ve been through storms before and have scars to prove you can come through them whole. They are seen as pillars. Strength under duress. People look to them for stability.
Strategic thinkers
The wise leader realizes no dream becomes reality without proper planning. They make sure plans are in place and people know what’s expected of them. They utilize healthy systems and structures. They aren’t burdensome with rules, but they are helpful in thinking through a process to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization.
Genuinely Love People
The wise leader knows people are the key to any organizational or team success and they work to empower others. Others know they are valued and appreciated under their leadership. They are true delegators. They invest in and develop the next generation. They look past the income statement to see the balance sheet — with people as the greatest asset.
What am I missing? What would you add to my list?
I would say a wise leader listens. Listens to wise counsel and keeps his ears to the ground. Great post
Yes. Keep learning. Thanks.
Twitter: Ronedmondson
It is a first rated post.I was seeking for such post like that from last 3 hours. I will be able to resolutely catch your rss feed to remain au fait any revisions. Thanks for the share.This time, we got the following wise leader crossword puzzle clue.The universal drawback thinker uses a huge information of everything to unravel drawback puzzles about any conceviable topic. Enter the letters you acknowledge.
Answer: I need to develop more in all of the, and God often puts me through experiences to sharpen them,even without me offering Him a "prayer request" on the subject
Thank you.
Twitter: Ronedmondson
Thank you for sharing such wisdom.
Thank you
Twitter: Ronedmondson
Thanks man! I'm with you on these.
Twitter: Ronedmondson
Thanks Sandi for sharing.
Twitter: Ronedmondson
Timing, timing, timing. I. Am. NOT. A. Patient. Person.
Me either…good way to illustrate it…
Twitter: Ronedmondson
Great post on being a wise leader. I think in our culture today that we tend to focus on many of these at the expense of morality. It's easy to see the results of the others in our lives but morality takes more work.
Twitter: ericspeir
Thanks Eric. Good point.
Twitter: Ronedmondson
Thanks for your emphasis on wisdom Ron. It is not taught or utilized enough in organizations that no better.
Thanks Bob!
Twitter: Ronedmondson
This is such a word in season for me, thank you. In my experience I have found on occasion these traits blend together like the colors of a rainbow, secant pinpoint where purple stops and blue begins. For me the diligence to continue on is closely blending with the core people around me and their diligence. Delegating and empowering them frees me up to move right along. Having the right people in place is encouraging when the going gets tough. Thank you again, right on time!
I'd add "forgiveness"-for others, and for yourself. This should be an absolute must when working with and for people. If a leader can't do that, there's not much wisdom.
Good add!
Twitter: Ronedmondson
i sometimes struggle with vision and strategy. Sometimes I have the vision but don't know how to make it happen and sometimes I struggle with vision so no need to strategize. One to add? humility?
I think many of us struggle with that. Tying the two together perfectly would make us experts! 🙂
Twitter: Ronedmondson
Great advice Ron… I think the one struggle with the most is 'Timing' or at least patience. I have a tendency to want to jump first and then look!