Over the past few weeks I explored the role that leaders play in looking ahead and preparing for what might be looming on the horizon. This discussion came to the forefront of my thinking because the month of September was National Preparedness Month in the United States. OK, so now it is October and it’s time to move on to another topic – well, sort of…
Generically, we have been looking at “preparation” in the context of natural disasters as well as discerning the “signs of the times” as it regards the financial markets. The goal has been to emphasize that leaders need to assess both what is occurring now as well as what might be approaching - and that astute leaders must do so in the context of changing events in the present days in which we find ourselves.
With this in mind, I share an observation that has been rumbling around in my mind a bit like the marble in a pin ball machine, until it finally drops into a slot where it scores some tangible points. The thought has congealed around my observations regarding the difference between scholarship and wisdom.
For those of us who live in Westernized nations, scholarship can be a big deal. We tend to have high regard for people with academic and (or) other conventional and earned credentials. And accordingly, as regards our culture, those of us who live in the West tend to revere the opinions of people with titles and/or who have academic letters after their names. In other words, scholarship can carry weightiness in our view of whether or not we value the opinion of someone who is expressing their perspective.
Yet the question is this:
Does scholarship automatically connote wisdom?
Since I prefer to keep these blogs short, next week I will define what I mean by the word “wisdom” and then distill my observations into what I hope is a useful set of questions for us to ponder as we listen to and sort out the value of the many opinions swirling around all of us…
PS - “Yes,” I know that today is Friday - and I am well-aware that these blogs usually show up on Wednesday. I guess I just got caught up filming a spectacular video for a client “on location” this week and the days simply cruised by way too fast. Next week we will be back on the Wednesday schedule…