Distinguishing the Wise from the Foolish
The most talented fool in the world only brings misery and destruction. Business is more than numbers and results. Leaders go astray when they neglect character at the expense of abilities.
The gifts and talents of fools makes them dangerous.
Wake up call:
It’s possible to be talented and foolish.
Wisdom and foolishness are about behavior and attitude not intelligence. Smart people act foolishly and dumb people act wisely.
Skill before character is dangerous.
Smart leaders develop talent and wisdom.
Seven marks of foolishness:
- Harshness.
- Jealousy and envy. Fools can’t enjoy the success of others.
- Self-protectiveness.
- Persistent anger.
- Selfish ambition. Fools throw others under the bus for personal advantage.
- Shading the truth to make yourself look good. Ethics are negotiable to fools.
- Taking advantage of others. Fools are OK with deals where others lose.
When you see foolish qualities in talented people, run or protect yourself. Smart people can display the behavior of fools. Every time you say, I knew better than that, you acknowledge you acted foolishly.
Successful leaders look for wisdom and talent.
Seven marks of wisdom:
- Flexibility. Wise leaders hear good arguments and change their minds. Fools are belligerent, argumentative, and hard-headed. When was the last time you changed your mind?
- Focus. Flexibility isn’t wishy-washy. Wise leaders remain tenacious about mission and vision.
- Strong relationships. A fool’s life is characterized by short-term relationships. Enduring relationships reveal wisdom.
- Providing second chances. Leaders who don’t give second chance create fearful, self-protective cultures.
- Commitment to the well-being of others.
- Predictability. Consistency makes wise people predictable.
- Respect for all regardless of position. Fools kiss butt.
It’s likely you see yourself on both lists. The good news is, we behave our way into wisdom. Trajectory is the deeper issue. Are you stepping toward wisdom or foolishness?
Which foolish behaviors are most tempting to leaders?
Which wise behaviors are most useful to leaders?
So true. We all have a bit of the fool in us. But beware of holding back for fear of LOOKING foolish when you’re behaving in the good list…..the wise risk appearing foolish to advance the cause.
Thanks Karin. Wonderful addition to these lists. The play on words is great.
I’ve seen the foolishness of “shading the truth” more than I care to remember. It’s a huge demotivator for me when I witness it and no one wants to address it. It’s very isolating.
For wisdom, I think flexibility properly balanced with focus is incredibly powerful and motivating to be a part of.
Thanks James. As soon I see people shading the truth to manipulate others, I lose respect and commitment to that person. It’s devastating.
Glad you caught the tension between flexibility and focus. It’s probably connected to the tension between tough and tender.
Well for me foolish start begins with a closed mind.
Then when one catches a whiff they do not know something about something…..or not much about something THEN they respond with indifference. Nothing quite like arrogant stupidity!!!
Like they should get a prize for their stupidity.
Leadership to me has all about to do with being curious. Finding something better for the tribe. Leaders job
For me the wisest thing I can do is find a person getting the results I want and modeling their thoughts, feelings and actions as closely as I can.
SP back to modeling now!
Thanks Scott. “arrogant stupidity” … we could say that arrogance makes us stupid.
In my reading on wisdom, openness vs. a closed mind constantly comes up. Bingo
This makes me think, Lord I have been a smart fool at times in my life. I am thankful for repentance and grace. What a way to start the week!
Thanks Changed. .. love the expression “smart fool.”
A wise person is one who thinks and acts on principle, governed by eternal values.
The wise person has faults, admits to them, provides restoration for wrongdoing when possible.
The wise person talks no more than necessary, does not seek attention.
Speaking or writing of wisdom does not make one wise, although “wise” pronouncements may inspire others.
It is possible to be wise without being very intelligent or learned, and to be intelligent and/or learned without being wise.
Wisdom can improve with age, but only with effort to change the lessons of experience into continuous improvement.
King Solomon had the benefit of starting his reign with a gift of wisdom, and wrote the book of Proverbs on it. He then frittered away his life pursuing frivolity. His book of Ecclesiastes describes life after losing his wisdom. It is a sad book, full of melancholy and depression. Lesson to be learned: seek true wisdom continually and tailor actions to beliefs.
Thanks Marc. I particularly like that you added the age component to the discussion. Youth can be wise and the elderly can be foolish. It’s not about intelligence or age. Great add.
I totally agree
Marc sounds like you been reading the greatest manual for successful living ever penned, The AA Big Book of course.
Step 10 “continued to take a personal inventory and when wrong promptly admitted it.”
So cool, so generic, guess that is why nothing else has had as much effect on the human race since 1938.
Go ahead try and tell the peeps what has had more effect on the human race since 1938. Here is a hint, it don’t exist.
Yeah generic, all inclusive, suggestions seem to be taken and utilized by the folks pretty well.
Much better than fear based thought systems with their idle threats and stuff.
Anyway Marc just think it is cool you seem to know about Step 10.
Pretty pretty cool
SP back to work!!!!
“Every time you say, I knew better than that, you acknowledge you acted foolishly.” I like this sentence because I think the self-awareness helps us realize everyone is human which leads into the second line I liked….
“Providing second chances. Leaders who don’t give second chances create fearful, self-protective cultures.”
Thanks Patrick. You make me think about the power and wisdom of giving ourselves second chances. What an encouraging thought. Cheers
Dan, loyalty is a trait of effective leadership. Loyalty is a factor in six of your Seven Marks of Wisdom. As an old man, I have seen the positive results of loyalty during my long career.
I recommend Fred Reichheld’s book, The Loyalty Effect.
Jimmy Collins
Thanks Jimmy. I’m glad you brought loyalty to the conversation. I find the idea gets push-back because people thinks it means sacrificing honesty to cover for someone who has done something wrong. I find this misunderstanding disappointing. For anyone interested: The Loyalty Effect on Amazon
How true, yet how sad Dan. “Good morning”! Many leaders enjoy success at some level. Some more than others, some less. The really sad thing about talents and skills are, ‘many’ don’t realize, (or want to admit), that CHARACTER beyond a shadow of a doubt, is the #1 determing factor if you want identify, cultivate, and inspire true, admirable, lasting success. Talents and skills without recognizing the vast importance of possesing a heart for your people, building up rather than tearing down, fostering a Team Oriented atmosphere as opposed to allowing division within the ranks. It is said that talents, skils, level of eduucation are responsible for only 15% fo ones sucsess and that about 85% is due to ones character, (thier ability to Deal with people), or ones skill in HUMAN ENGINEERING. Given this obvious fact, I am always baffled when I see character is not even concidered when identifying the BEST who possess the unmistakeable quaulities of a ‘Charcter-Based Leader. Ingoring these things over time creates an enviroment filled with division, distrust, and inevenably, a destructive cuture that saps the energy from your organization. Cheers my friend
Thanks Steve. If we question the importance and power of character just think about the cause of so many leadership failures. Is it lack of character or lack of skill? 🙂
Dan;
Certainly lack of talent and skills can be a burden, or create an extra challenge to authentic positive leadership. But all to often, all the skill and talent in the world cannot overcome the lack of true honorable proven character. “Knowledge can be taught, character can not.
“Cheers Dan”
Some obstacles, goals or challenges may be overcome or met due to the skills of “The Leader”. However, the leader who believs it is his/her, skills alone that predick sucsess are in for a rude awakening. When challenges are so big that they require the effort of many. Employees are reluctant to step forward and offer thier assitance to this type of leader. That is why (I feel), true character is SO important.
Life is fluid. Paths change (outside of our control) and we need to be able to change as well. I like the word fluid as it allows us to change without being wrong 🙂
So maybe where we want to end, is more important that how we got there. Thanks again for this thoughtful journey.
Thanks J. Yes, fluid had some powerful application to leadership, especially in the relational context. I wonder about being too fluid?
Fluidity is a must in means and tactics, with rigidity in values and morals, and openness to new learning, others’ points of vue and information.
Strategy should be more pliable then values, but far less open to change than means and tactics.
“points of view”, not “points of vue”. My apologies
I find myself reminded of the pseudo mantra “Owatt, Taful, Lyam!”
(Repeat aloud three times). I am going to hijack the second list and put it in the growth plan portion of my self assessment review for my boss. I have developed many talents and a poor character…but I think it may be possible to do a 180 and head in the right direction. Thank you!
Thanks Duncan. It didn’t hit me till the 3rd time! I’m slow… thanks
Character answers the age old leadership question conundrum: Are leaders born or are they made? I believe it’s both the ultimate motivator, and the great equalizer of leadership and management.
And, I maintain character is also a great source of leadership and staff wellness.
Character is nature’s physician: It’s essential to human completeness, happiness and fulfillment, and necessary for contribution and accomplishment. Ultimately, I believe, character
puts your 7 marks of leadership wisdom into successful action
with our larger dreams we weave–and gives us the power and belief to turn our visions into reality.
Thanks Rick, As I read your comment I started thinking about my word for the year – health. Character and health are connected. Thanks for pointing this out.
The connection between stress and character seems obvious. But, healthy teams trust each other and that takes character as well as competence.
Wow, great post! This reminded me of Chapter 7 from Cloud’s “Necessary Endings”: The Wise, the foolish, and the evil: identifying Which kinds of People deserve your trust. It’s a superb book and that chapter is one of the best chapters around. I assume this site is publishing it with permission: http://bit.ly/1aakWKQ
Thanks Staffaction. I appreciate your good word and extending the conversation with added resources.
Thanks for the reminder jealousy is foolishness. We can go from wise to foolish when jealousy rears its ugly head!
Thanks Kevin. You reminded me that moving from wise to foolish can happen quickly. Ouch!
Great words Dan. Your last paragraph reminds me of the title of a book that I have taken to heart, “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction.” (A reflection on the “Songs of the Ascent,” Psalms 120 to 134, and how their message can shape good character)
Another mark to add to foolishness is: cutting corners for short-term gain. Whereas wisdom does the right things no matter how long they take because they’re the right things.
Very interesting..very true
Sent via the Samsung Galaxy SIII, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
Leadership Freak wrote: Dan Rockwell posted: ” The most talented fool in the world only brings misery and destruction. Business is more than numbers and results. Leaders go astray when they neglect character and focus on abilities. The gifts and talents of fools makes them dangerous. Wake up call:”
Dan, another great post!
it reminded me of a saying I once heard “A smart person knows how to get out of trouble caused by his foolish actions, a wise person avoids getting into trouble in the first place.”
Good read Dan,
#2 foolish behavior strikes a cord with me, for many years I was jealous of others’s success or what I perceived to be success above me. I’ve worked hard to try and investigate how they’re achieving their success, how relevant it is, rather than be jealous or questioning of it. It’s not easy, it seems like I question everything, but I’m aware of it, so that’s half the battle.
control. foolish wants to control people, which is impossible in the end. that’s fear of the real potential of people. wise accept that people grow and change and learn and becomes independent…
“When you see foolish qualities in talented people, run or protect yourself. ” please, that needs a more practical, in depth explanation… (it has bitten me badly)
I am a fool so I am happy. I don’t want to be a wise.Thank you for your experiences.