Wisdom in a leader is an unbeatable quality and a leader cannot exist without being wise. Without wisdom, a leader will not be able to guide his team/group hence rendering the role incompetent and incomplete. The foremost responsibility of a leader is to inspire and guide a group to reach its goal. A leader cannot guide his group thus defeating the whole purpose of becoming a leader in the first place without wisdom. A leader needs to be wise because he/she needs to read both situations and people.
A leader also requires making sound decisions and without wisdom, he/she cannot make proper decisions. Wisdom provides insight into different matters and gives problem qualities to the leader as well. To know what, when, and where to do everything correctly a leader must be wise. Leading a group or a team is not easy so the leader needs to be mentally tough to take even harsh decisions at times for the greater good and that strength comes from being wise.
To know all the team members and all their strengths and weaknesses and motivate them accordingly a leader has to be wise.
Great Leaders In History
There have been many great leaders in history who have shaped the destiny of humankind. All of them possessed confidence, compassion, and courage without which they could not motivate entire nations to follow them. Many people perceive compassion as a weakness but without that, you cannot walk hand in hand with people from all squares of life.
Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela had the compassion to stand up for their beliefs and also motivate their brothers and sisters to fight for their freedom and respect. Martin Luther King Jr.’s movement of civil rights was based on the belief that everyone must be treated equally underlining the importance of equality of actions.
Wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance are 4 pillars of leadership that promote moral integrity, self-discipline, and empathy. Stoicism is another significant quality of being a leader which makes him/her calm in the face of adversity. Everyone looks up to a leader and if the leader cannot handle pressure then his team will also falter. In modern times the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos embodies these principles and also that of stoicism and as a result, his company is the largest e-commerce platform in the entire world.
How to Become a Wise Leader?
No one is born a leader. Leadership skills are acquired just like any other skill. If you are ready to put in the work for it, it will pay off.
Some practical tips to become one are as follows:
- Be reflective
- Invest time for personal growth
- Be open-minded
- Set clear goals
- To achieve, design a plan
- Lead by example
- Step out of comfort zone
- Take risks
As a leader, you must push your boundaries and set an example in front of your followers. Being a leader is complicated but rewarding at the same time. The more risk you take, the more reward you will reap.
Living smartly covers helpful topics for being wise, healthy and financially sufficient and other aspects like cultivating wisdom gifting, gift ideas, health protection, being sensible among other topics for smart living.
