Five Tips for the Wise Leader: Bolstering Your Leadership Skills

According to the 2009 Frost & Sullivan CEO survey, the top three leadership objectives that CEOs value in the year 2010 are vision, strategy and innovation.

Executive coach Per Winblad thinks that one of the guiding principles of our history – wisdom – will be the driving force for the development towards our future.

“Wisdom is the engine,” said Winblad, author of The Wisdom of Leadership: Timeless Principles for Greater Purpose, Prosperity and Peace of Mind, from Lighthouse Hill Press. “Without wisdom, every other part of the leadership equation risk to go awry. Many leaders think that wisdom is an esoteric, subjective quality that either you have or you don’t, but wisdom CAN be learned, if you know the path. We have all the potential to become wiser, but it will take time, reflection, honesty and the willingness to constantly learn and grow.”

Winblad offered CEOs five tips to get them on the path in 2010:

Make a choice – Becoming a wise and inspiring leader starts with a decision to make a difference and to lead a life that really matters. This choice gives us the courage to dare to strive for something higher and better, to live for a cause, a purpose, a vision and to be determined to carry it through.

Make your core values clear and align your life with them – One of Sweden’s great philosophers, Alf Ahlberg said, “Our world is full of knowledge but lacks wisdom.” Wisdom is not the same as knowledge, experience, or intelligence. Rather, wisdom is how we use those qualities in an ethical and morally sound way. It’s a deep insight of what is true, right, and lasting, something that every human being has to value during a lifetime. Wisdom enables us to take our knowledge, experience, and intelligence and use it to make sound choices and good decisions.

Create a balance – The next key is to create a balance in life between work, family, friends, and personal interests – regularly sharpening the blade of the ax. Chasing worldly fame and fortune is in demand in the world we live in. Nevertheless, they are, as King Solomon, considered by many to be the wisest leader ever, could have expressed it, good servants but poor masters. When we pursue worldly success as objectives for our lives and leadership, we will never get enough. Solomon expresses it like this: “He who loves money shall never have enough. The foolishness of thinking that wealth brings happiness! The more you have, the more you spend.”

Listen and learn – If you want to be a wiser leader, develop your willingness to listen and learn. Wise leaders learn from what other says to them. They are keen to find out what other people have to say. They ask many questions. There are two very good reasons for listening to other people. We are learning ourselves this way, and people open up to us if we listen to them. When we listen, we are showing respect for our co-workers and fellow man.

Take time for solitude – Regularly take time to be alone with yourself for receptive silence and reflection. Set aside time for personal reflection and some deeper thinking. Look back on how you have been living and leading. Look forward to what kind of leader you want to become. This will help you to see the bigger and longer perspective of your life and leadership.

“Wisdom comprises the foundation for your leadership,” Winblad added. “It helps to crystallize the other qualities of vision, strategic thinking and innovation so that you can do more than visualize success – you can achieve, sustain, and enjoy success.

About Per Winblad
Per Winblad author of The Wisdom of Leadership: Timeless Principles for Greater Purpose, Prosperity and Peace of Mind, has built his successful consulting, coaching, seminar design and speaking career by practicing the solid leadership principles he presents. He is the founder of Motivation Consultant Inc., a well-respected international training firm used by such companies as Ericsson and Nokia as well as non-profit organizations to build strong leaders and to help employees perform at their best. Per travels extensively presenting leadership principles to audiences and companies worldwide.

Category: Business Tips & Resources