There are many priorities that leaders can choose. Profitability, efficiency, and notoriety to name a few. These priorities are fine in proper perspective, but they are not the keys to true success. Rather, they are the results of what truly allows us to excel as leaders and organizations.
One of the best priorities a leader can have is seeking and developing wisdom.
Wisdom is often confused with knowledge but is really understanding how to apply knowledge and information. It is one thing to know that we need to be inclusive but having the wisdom to know how to live that out and how to apply it in our workplace is key. Wisdom often comes out of experiential learning, self-awareness, and learning from wise mentors. Wisdom is foundational to being a strong leader.
Another priority is holding onto hope and portraying hope to our teams. Hope is so powerful because it is based on vision and is focused on solutions. This focus provides room for the discovery of what has not been discovered yet, and a vision for a better future. Hope is also foundational to the morale of our teams as we seek to create highly aligned and energized environments.
Finally, we must be service driven. The drive to serve others includes not only our clients but our team members, our community partners, and others. This requires us to consider how we help them succeed, how can we empower others, and how can we support them along the way. Serving others also includes making decisions that create win-win solutions.
All of this can sound simple on the surface but is actually difficult to practice day in and day out when we are faced with the pressure of getting reports done, attending meetings, and checking off our to-do list. These activities are not bad, but they do not fuel our growth and vitality as a leader and organizations. Those other activities simply keep pace with where we are at in our journey. Strong leaders understand that our goal is to move forward not in isolation but by creating joint success through wisdom, hope, and service.
