| | Making Good Decisions: What we "know to be true" vs. the truth.
Wisdom is one of my favorite words and one of the things I value most. (Those of you that know me well or have seen me wearing shorts might already know that.) It leads to the fulfillment of many other core values. Wisdom can lead to:
- Peace of Mind
- Inner Strength
- Self Awareness
- A Sense of Presence
Dictionary.com defines wisdom as, "knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action."
Wisdom is something we acquire through our own experiences, or an understanding of the experiences of others. Wisdom is also a skill. The more we practice good judgment, the wiser we become.
Identifying the "knowledge of what is true" is also a skill. There are a lot of things we believe to be true despite the lack of supporting facts. Just as practicing good judgment leads to wisdom, ignoring evidence of truth in order to uphold our beliefs in what we "know to be true" is a roadblock to wisdom.
I know some of you might be wondering what the heck I am talking about so let me explain myself using some of my favorite examples.
- Everyone knows "you need a college degree to be successful," yet we also know that's not true
- Everyone knows "you need good grades to be successful," yet we know that's not true,
- Everyone knows "You need experience to be successful," yet we know that's not true.
The fact is we all know people who are wildly successful at what they do despite poor grades; lack of degree; and no prior experience in their present field. If you are a small business owner your earliest discovery just might have been how little you know about owning your own business. Yet, you survived, and sometimes thrived in areas you had no formal training or experience with. Most of what you learned, you taught yourself.
As leaders it is your responsibility to, as Tom Peters (Best Selling Author, In Search Of Excellence; Thriving on Chaos) would say, "Focus in the soft stuff: People, Values, Character and Commitment." As you lead, be sure not to be sidetracked by "what you know," and focus on the truth.
Do you want to become a better leader? Contact us for some One-on-One CEO Leadership Coaching, or our next Group CEO Leadership Coaching Programs.
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