Why Modern Leadership Needs Wisdom: Exploring the Lack of Value for Wisdom in Society

Leadership is a vital aspect of human civilisation. A leader is an individual who can influence, motivate, and guide people towards achieving a common goal. The success of any organisation or society depends on the quality of its leadership. In the modern world, leadership has become more complex due to rapid technological changes, globalisation, and the increasing diversity of people and cultures.

Leadership requires more than just technical skills and expertise. It requires emotional intelligence, empathy, communication skills, and, most importantly, wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to make good judgments based on knowledge, experience, and understanding. It is the ability to discern right and wrong, what is important and unimportant, and what is true and false.

Modern leadership needs wisdom because the challenges and complexities facing organisations and societies today require leaders who can make wise decisions. First, however, we need a society that values learning. In this essay, I will explain why modern leadership needs wisdom, and our society does not appreciate it.

Why Modern Leadership Needs Wisdom:

Uncertainty and Complexity:

The modern world is characterised by uncertainty and complexity. The rapid changes in technology, globalisation and the increasing diversity of people and cultures make it difficult for leaders to make decisions based on facts and evidence. Nevertheless, leaders need the wisdom to navigate uncertainty and complexity and make decisions in the organisation's or society's best interest.

Ethical and Moral Dilemmas:

Leaders often face ethical and moral dilemmas that require them to make difficult decisions. For example, a CEO may decide between maximising profits or taking a stand on a social issue. A political leader may have to choose between their party's interests and those of the people they serve. Leaders need the wisdom to make ethical and moral decisions that align with their values and the organisation's or society's values.

Long-term Thinking:

Leaders need to think long-term and plan for the future. However, many leaders are focused on short-term gains and instant gratification. Wisdom enables leaders to consider the long-term consequences of their decisions and actions and make choices that will benefit future generations.

Emotional Intelligence:

Leaders need emotional intelligence to connect with people and build relationships. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage one's emotions and the emotions of others. Wisdom is an essential component of emotional intelligence because it enables leaders to empathise with others and make decisions that are in the best interest of everyone involved.

Why Our Society Does Not Value Wisdom:

Focus on Material Wealth:

Our society places a high value on material wealth and success. We often equate success with money, power, and status. Wisdom is not valuable because it does not lead to immediate material wealth or success. Wisdom usually requires sacrifice and delayed gratification, which is not attractive to many people.

Short-term Thinking:

Our society is focused on instant gratification and short-term gains. We want things now, and we want them fast. We do not value long-term thinking or planning. Wisdom requires a long-term perspective, which is not valued in our society.

Lack of Education:

Wisdom requires knowledge and understanding. However, our education system is focused on technical skills and does not prioritise learning development. As a result, we need to teach our children the importance of wisdom and how to cultivate it.

Lack of Role Models:

Our society lacks role models who embody wisdom. We often celebrate successful people in business, sports, or entertainment, but we do not observe wise people. We need more leaders who demonstrate wisdom in decision-making and actions.

Conclusion:

Modern leadership needs wisdom because the challenges and complexities facing organisations and societies today require leaders who can make wise decisions.