Catching up on a backlog of reading, I came across an article from May 2019 that I had wanted to share, but it all got away from me. Authors Navi Radjou and Prasad Kaipa in their article ‘6 Ways to Recognize a Wise Leader’ (read it here) have developed a model of leadership based on six capabilities that differentiate between a smart leader and a wise leader.
The authors argue that it is time to move beyond smartness towards wisdom. What does that mean? It means incorporating ethical clarity and discernment, amongst other things. Radjou and Kaipa have developed the WISDOM framework, which is summarised below. I would encourage you to read the full article as it is packed with really interesting examples and illustrations.
W: Work and act with authenticity and appropriateness
I: Insightful and flexible fortitude
S: Shift your perspective towards a noble purpose
D: Decision logic with discernment and intuition
O: Openness to lead from any position
M: Motivated by enlightened self-interest
After 10 years of research, the authors note that no one leader has all 6 traits, usually two or three at best. But the goal is to become wiser every day.