One of my dearest friends is very wise. She sees the potential in me when my vision is shadowy. She uses the power of her gentleness, the strength of her love, and the clarity of her insight to encourage everyone around her to flourish. She’s an absolute joy, with a lovely ability to discern what really matters.
While many men consider themselves wise, many women question whether they have wisdom. They might think wisdom has to do with age (older is wiser) or sex (the image of the white man with the beard) or a certain erudite character. It’s an effect of the cultural context I refer to in earlier blogs and dive into in depth in the book I’m writing.
It’s amazing that many women, like my dear friend, are very wise; yet, when asked, they hesitate to claim their practical wisdom or own their role as wise leaders.
As I see it a leader is anyone who is willing and able to take action on what matters most to them. This can happen at any level of the organization, in any community, political system or home.
What if we were enjoying a cup of tea and I asked you, “How were you wise this week?” It might be the first time you’ve ever been asked this question or thought about yourself in this way. You might speak about it in a self-dismissive manner; but yet, in just a few minutes, you would most likely tell me about a feeling, an insight or decision, a time you communicated your truth or an action you took. You would tell me why you considered these moments to be wise and why they were important to you. And then another instance of wisdom would come to you, and another. Once we got you started, it would be hard to stop!
How were you wise this week? When were those around you wise?
Try this out at with your team or colleagues at work or family at home. Ask, “How were you wise this week?” and then just wait, past the moment of uncertainty, for the insightful, reflective smile that starts slowly as they remember a moment when they considered themselves wise. We all know wisdom when we see it. It’s up to us to cultivate and amplify the wisdom we want to see so that it will grow and be part of leading change in our organizations, communities, and the world.
I watch the way teams begin to thrive when their team lead uses every opportunity to amplify wisdom—at staff meetings, mentoring sessions, in performance reviews, or when making tough decisions. We all need to be reminded. Point it out until everyone around you sees themselves as possessing wisdom, the capacity to mindfully consider and choose the best course of action in the short and long term.
As conscious leaders, how we view ourselves and each other changes how we live and the effect we have on others. We can be mindful, awake and aware of what is so, now in this moment. Working together we can generate the kind of wisdom we need to take to reverse the current trajectory and take this spinning planet of ours towards regenerative health and vitality for all the generations to come.