‘The gap between cleverness and wisdom’ was a phrase I heard a few years back that has stayed with me.
There are numerous examples of this gap in business and in day-to-day situations. In business, the gap between cleverness and wisdom is often the difference between a business that merely performs and one that transcends. While cleverness is a “ticket to the game”, wisdom is what allows a CEO to “make the turn” toward the remarkable, leading their business to Transcendence.
At Lockstep, one of the core tenets of our Transcend Methodology is ‘Wise Leadership’ (the others being Enlightened Leaders, Societal Relevance, and Codified Performance), and we feel that this is one of the most crucial evolutions that CEOs need to tackle.
Nobody needs more extractive businesses (certainly not the planet), and wise leadership is the most certain way to avoid businesses being or becoming extractive by nature.
As a wise leader, if you need to reset your business’s trajectory from time to time, perhaps you are currently doing so as your organisation departs on its 5 year journey to 2030. Here are 4 steps that a wise leader should take when setting a new trajectory:
- Chemistry
Consider and interrogate the whole business through the lens of how “well” the organisation is, paying attention to how all the interwoven parts are dancing together. Wise leaders tune into how the business performs at a systemic level. This involves assessing the chemistry that underpins the efficiencies you seek in your business. You will find wisdom there.
- Impact
Check in and assess whether the strategy of the business as a whole is a net positive for all stakeholders. Ultimately, it is in the business’s long-term interests for all stakeholders to benefit. If something is off, what steps can you take to move towards a net positive? This involves considering shareholders, staff, customers, suppliers, service providers, and the community around you.
- Sharpness
Ask yourself, “What are the top 3, bottom-line changes that need to be made in order for this business to stay sharp?”
As CEO, you need a clear line of sight into these main thrusts for the business to achieve its objectives.
- Pulse
Check in and hold yourself accountable for your own evolution as CEO. Your energy and vitality levels affect the pulse of the business. Ensure you have your own CEO process in place to deliver extraordinary CEO outcomes.