Exploring the value of executive wisdom

By John Langhorne / Guest Editorial

The nature of wisdom is equal parts philosophical and empirical.

One philosophical definition says that wisdom is the ability, developed through experience, insight and reflection, to discern truth and exercise good judgment. Wisdom is sometimes conceptualized as an especially well-developed form of common sense. It is distinct from the cognitive abilities measured by standardized intelligence tests. Wisdom is often considered a trait that can be developed by experience, but not taught. The status of wisdom as a virtue is recognized in cultural, philosophical and religious sources.

A workable empirical definition of executive wisdom is the application of tacit knowledge in pursuing the common good, requiring a balance of intra-, inter- and extra-personal interests and environmental circumstances.

Dissecting these definitions, particularly the empirical one, can give us a good understanding of the basic nature of executive wisdom.

By definition, tacit knowledge is knowledge that people carry in their minds and is, therefore, difficult to access. People are often unaware of the knowledge they possess or how it can be valuable to others. Tacit knowledge is considered more valuable because it provides context for people, places, ideas and experiences. The effective transfer of tacit knowledge generally requires extensive personal contact and trust. It is reasonable to think of tacit knowledge as “how” knowledge.

Wisdom is often considered to be a trait that can be developed by experience, but not taught.

After several years of consulting experience, I noticed that some managers could make any management tool work, whereas others seemed incapable of using the simplest tool without its application causing problems. It became apparent that a thoughtless manager can use any management tool, regardless of how principled and well-designed, to make situations worse rather than better.

It took me some to time to fully appreciate that this was entirely due to the presence or absence of certain types of tacit knowledge. The effective manager intuitively understands that “how” the tool is applied is the key to its effectiveness.

Understanding that tacit knowledge is an essential ingredient in the above definition of executive wisdom has further strengthened my belief in the importance of the emotional component of management and leadership. An interesting hypothesis for managers and potential leaders to ponder is that in most situations involving human beings, emotion trumps reason. I have been reflecting on this concept for some years now, and it further reinforces the idea that people are essentially emotional creatures.

Antonio Damasio, a former faculty member at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, wrote an extremely provocative book several years ago titled “Descartes’ Error.” René Descartes was a 15th century philosopher and theologian who in his proof of God stated, “cogito ergo sum,” or “I think therefore I exist.” Mr. Damasio believes that Mr. Descartes got it wrong, in that what makes us uniquely human is not reason, but emotion. His lucid and compelling discussion of this hypothesis is a ripping good read.

The behavior of people can be thought of as having three essential ingredients: cognition, emotion and action. These interact with each other in complex ways to produce the wide range of behavior we observe every day. Given that tacit knowledge is often about the ability to read and manage the emotional behavior of ourselves and others, one can understand the central importance of human emotion. A wise person then must have a finely tuned understanding of the interaction between thought and emotion and its consequences, particularly in communication.

For a dramatic comparison, contrast the styles of two past presidents: Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. When Mr. Reagan spoke, people felt uplifted and energized, whereas Mr. Carter always presented in a manner that spoke only to our problems, not our possibilities. How future historians will evaluate these two presidents and their power as leaders may well hinge on their abilities to cast very different emotional pictures in their communications.

 

 

John Langhorne is owner and principal of Langhorne Associates www.langhorneassociates.com. His most recent book, “Beyond IQ: Practical Steps To Find the Best You,” is available digitally at Amazon.