We are all looking for a little wisdom

A Johannesburg colleague, Ruth de Bruyn, suggested that we write a joint article on the nature of wisdom. We are both organisation development specialists, and have found that a number of younger people in organisations are dissatisfied with their personal development plans. They want more than skills acquisition; they are searching for a mentor who could also provide a little wisdom! Ruth and I both felt somewhat threatened and unsettled by these comments and requests. What exactly were these talented youngsters looking for? Could we define wisdom; could they; could any of us identify what it is and where people are likely to find it? We felt an article might help organisations, and ourselves, to identify and nurture the sources of wisdom. What follows are some of the insights I have uncovered in doing my bit of the research toward an article that may appear early next year in one of the Management journals.

First insight: there is a well of wisdom that comes to us from the writings of great men and women of the past. We don’t have to rely solely on our own limited experience in order to draw on the best thinking and advice available. We who live today are linked to the lives of those who came before, especially those whose thoughts and insights were recorded and remain available to us in literature. The list of wise people is long and our own wisdom is enhanced when we study what they have to say to us; their essential insights outlast the context and era in which they were expressed. So, one characteristic of the wisdom possessed by a wise person in an organisation or community is that s/he is aware of the well of wisdom left by past giants in many fields, and is able to draw from that well. The wise person is someone who is “in touch” with the wealth of wisdom that already exists and can access it when needed.

Second insight: ethics is the major philosophical discipline underlying all wisdom. Sharon Ryan, a modern philosopher, has argued persuasively that someone is wise if, and only if: s/he has extensive knowledge with very few unjustifiable beliefs; knows how to live a good life and is successful in doing so. So, a large part of wisdom is living a good life, knowing what is right and doing it. We wouldn’t dream of looking for wise counsel from a scoundrel! This has implications for organisations and communities. Wisdom is not found only, or even mainly, in the organisation’s leaders. Rather, people looking for advice and wise counsel will tend to go to those who, in addition to knowing the organisation’s inner workings, are recognised as people of integrity who will tell it as they see it. So, the wise person is not only knowledgeable but is also an authentic, ethical person whose life reflects a dedication to the truth.

Third insight: wisdom enables people to speak the truth to power. Organisations and communities always have people who, legitimately or otherwise, have the power to make decisions that affect others. This is clearly seen in politics, where the power of top politicians can impact negatively or positively on whole classes of citizens. Too often powerful people become surrounded by sycophantic “praise-singers” who avoid delivering bad news or personal feedback to the big man. Really good political or organisational leaders actively look for a wise colleague, often outside the circle of power, who will tell them the truth rather than what it is thought they would like to hear. It obviously takes courage to speak the truth to power, and that courage is certainly a characteristic of the wise person.

Fourth insight: wisdom blends compassion and empathy with the truth. One of America’s best known psychologists, Theodore Isaac Rubin, put it this way: kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom. Younger people often look for mentors who exude kindness and empathy, who are able to put themselves into other people’s shoes and see things from their vantage point. It’s not that they don’t want the mentor to be totally honest with them; it’s that they want to hear any bad news from someone who is fundamentally for them.

So, wisdom is a human attribute much valued by all of us. We are all looking for a little wisdom, in our partners, our friends, our colleagues, our leaders. And it is definitely not an age thing: many of the wisest people I know are much younger than me. But it certainly is a rare attribute which we all instinctively recognise and value.