Have you ever worked in an environment where the leaders you encountered were not wise or effective? In such a culture, you are constantly questioning why you are here and what you should be doing. Conversely in a work arena in which wise and effective leaders abound, you know exactly why you are there and what you should be doing. In addition, you even know how performing a task in a specific way helps the organization achieve its goals.
Wise leaders have several important characteristics. They are:
- Willing to go the extra mile for you, the customer, and the organization.
- Interested in others as much or more than themselves.
- Curious about who you are, what makes you tick, and how best to challenge you in using your strengths.
- Savvy in interacting with others internally and externally to get the support and resources to get the job done.
- Effective in accomplishing the high impact priorities. They don’t allow the unimportant tasks to distract them from making a difference.
When I have worked for wise leaders, I believed they were interested in my ideas, my contributions, and my team. Measuring time, counting tasks, and making themselves look good were not important. They were unselfish and well-tuned to their own values and those of the organization. Examples of things that wise leaders do.
- Demonstrate good judgment by getting the facts and others’ input before making decisions.
- Show proper respect for others by being courteous and considerate. They understand the importance of representing what the organization stands for – internally and externally.
- Act as the harmonious leader to bring all the parts together in a sagacious way, while still holding others accountable.
- Use their mental agility to be aware of potential problems and act prudently when problems do occur
- Keep confidences. They are discreet in their dealings with others.
- Keep themselves Informed about internal and external news that may impact the organization.
- Keep an open mind. They are like the Dalai Lama – enlightened.
- Stay on their toes about their field of knowledge, ensuring they don’t become irrelevant. They remain equipped and ready for whatever comes.
- Nimble and dexterous in moving from task to task, person to person, team to team.
- Act judiciously when there is conflict. Their ethics are never in question.
- Exercise a sensitive sense of humor. They don’t take themselves too seriously.
Quotes from the Dalai Lama:
“To carry out a positive action, we must develop a positive vision.”
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
“When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.”
“Too much self-centered attitude brings isolation. Result: loneliness, fear, anger. The extreme self-centered attitude brings suffering.”
“A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity”.
“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”
BRH
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