Latest news with #ManfredKetsdeVries
Forbes
13-07-2025
- General
- Forbes
Wisdom In Leadership… Do We Have The Time To Be Wise?
Wisdom Takes Time In today's corporate world, where speed often seems like the ultimate competitive advantage, many leaders and organizations risk losing something far more valuable: wisdom. The question is pressing—do we have time to be wise? I was inspired to revisit this question by Manfred Kets de Vries' essay on wisdom. Kets de Vries reminds us, 'wisdom can't be taught,' it emerges instead through life's crucible: reflection, vulnerability, relationship, and, perhaps most importantly, teaching others. He argues that simply transmitting information—even the best advice—is not enough to cultivate wisdom. It comes from grappling with ambiguity and experimenting in the messy reality of life and work. As my Organizational Behavior professor at INSEAD, Kets de Vries challenged us to think about how to apply principles, not just learn them. That challenge remains deeply relevant today. In the whirlwind pace of modern corporate life, do we leave ourselves any space to reflect, or are we moving so fast that we undermine our capacity to become wise? Wisdom vs. Intelligence: Depth vs. Speed Some leaders still confuse wisdom with intelligence. But intelligence is about speed—how fast we can think, how much we can recall. Wisdom, by contrast, is about depth: it asks not only what is true, but what matters. Intelligence builds tools; wisdom asks if we should use them. That critical pause—questioning not just can we, but should we—is precisely what today's pace threatens to erase. Robert Sternberg's 'Balance Theory of Wisdom,' published in Review of General Psychology (2003), underscores that wise leaders balance their interests with those of others and the broader environment. Unlike intelligence, which focuses on immediate problem-solving, wisdom weighs long-term consequences, ethical trade-offs, and diverse perspectives. Doing this well requires time, careful consideration, and a willingness to sit in the grey areas of Wise Leaders Teach—And Why That Takes Time Although wisdom can't be taught like a checklist, wise leaders create environments where it can grow. Barry Schwartz in 'Practical Wisdom' describes how leaders model virtues such as patience and humility, share stories of their own failures, and encourage questioning—all of which require time and a willingness to pause. Ikujiro Nonaka, describes the power of 'ba' —shared spaces where people engage in collective sense-making. Leaders who create these spaces allow teams to experiment and learn from one another's perspectives, cultivating the collective wisdom that fast-paced, siloed cultures often crush. Research by McKenna, Rooney, and Boal (2009) shows that wise leaders recognize patterns, reframe problems, and guide organizations through uncertainty—all while helping others do the same. But recognizing patterns or reframing problems doesn't happen in a sprint; it requires time for reflection and dialogue. From Knowledge Hoarders to Wisdom Cultivators Many executives mistakenly equate expertise with wisdom. But wise leaders don't hoard knowledge to dominate discussions; they use it to spark exploration. They ask, 'What do you think?' or 'What might we be missing?'—questions that invite deeper reflection and collective insight. This approach helps others develop independent thinking and creates a ripple effect: teams become better at weighing multiple perspectives, considering ethical consequences, and challenging their assumptions—skills essential in a complex, rapidly evolving world. Wisdom's Cultural Impact Organizations led by wise leaders become learning organizations. Employees feel safer to challenge ideas, voice concerns, and innovate. Psychological safety—identified by Amy Edmondson in 'The Fearless Organization' (Wiley, 2018)—is the hallmark of workplaces where wisdom can flourish rather than be stifled. When leaders create time and space for reflection, organizations shift from cultures of compliance to cultures of thoughtful engagement, unlocking innovation and resilience even in turbulent markets. The Bottom Line: Making Time for Wisdom Wisdom remains elusive but essential. As Sternberg, Schwartz, and Nonaka show, it cannot be taught by manuals or training programs—but it can be modeled and nurtured in environments that value reflection, humility, and moral courage. But to do this well, leaders must first acknowledge a hard truth: wisdom takes time. Time to reflect. Time to engage others in dialogue. Time to pause before reacting. Without it, we may become faster—but not wiser. As the proverb reminds us, 'Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.' In our drive for speed, we must not forget to slow down long enough to listen—and to create the time and space for ourselves and our teams to become wise.
Forbes
15-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why Great Leaders Learn To Sit With Uncertainty
In a business culture that prizes quick wins and decisive action, comfort is often mistaken for competence. We idolize clarity, reward speed, and celebrate leaders who appear unflappable. However, in today's volatile world, this mindset may be holding us back, uncertainty and discomfort can be our friends. Leader with Uncertainty What if discomfort—intellectual, emotional, even interpersonal—is not a threat to be managed but a resource to be mined? What if leaning into uncertainty is exactly what allows the best ideas, deepest collaboration, and most authentic leadership to emerge? Leadership today is less about having the right answer and more about asking the right question—and being willing to sit with it. While traditional management models emphasize control and confidence, the leaders shaping the future are those who can hold space for ambiguity. This concept has long been explored in Zen practice through 'koans'—seemingly paradoxical riddles like 'What is the sound of one hand clapping?' Their purpose isn't to be solved, but to disrupt linear thinking and provoke deeper insight. Frustration is part of the process—and part of the breakthrough. This is elaborated on by Manfred Kets de Vries in The Path to Authentic Leadership. Whether navigating an evolving market, managing team resistance, or wrestling with internal doubt, the impulse is often to resolve tension immediately. But discomfort, when handled with intention, can be a gateway to reflection, innovation, and stronger relationships. Walk towards uncertainty Breakthroughs don't come from what we already know. They come from venturing into unfamiliar terrain—and resisting the urge to fill the silence too soon. A growing body of research supports this idea. A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Management (Frazier et al., 2017) found that psychological safety—the feeling that it's safe to speak up, ask questions, and make mistakes—is a key driver of team learning and innovation. In short: It's not about having the answer. It's about staying with the question. Top-down directives rarely inspire real commitment. Employees don't want to be told what to do—they want to be part of something they believe in. This is where discomfort becomes strategic. Leaders who resist the temptation to dictate, and instead create space for dialogue, build buy-in through co-creation. Psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, creators of self-determination theory, emphasize that people are most engaged when they experience autonomy, competence, and connection—not compliance. Meaningful participation begins when people are invited into the tension of decision-making, not shielded from it. Some of my clients feel the need to lead by example and show the way rather than including their team in the process, which misses the opportunity to align and discover together. Vulnerability Builds Credibility There's a persistent myth that leadership means always knowing the way forward. In reality, pretending to have all the answers can undermine trust. When leaders acknowledge complexity—and admit they're still exploring—they signal strength, not weakness. Writing in Harvard Business Review, Herminia Ibarra and Anne Scoular argue that modern leadership is increasingly about coaching rather than commanding. The most effective leaders today are those who guide through inquiry, learning, and empathy—not through charisma alone. People don't need perfect leaders. They need real ones. Staying in the Tension In a world of complex challenges—climate disruption, AI-driven change, geopolitical instability—there are no easy fixes. The pressure to move fast is real. But speed without clarity leads to shallow solutions. The leaders who will thrive in the years ahead are those willing to linger in discomfort long enough to let complexity reveal its deeper truths. This doesn't mean paralysis. It means choosing curiosity over reactivity, humility over bravado. It means recognizing that discomfort isn't a failure of leadership—it's often the first sign you're leading in the right direction. The takeaway… If you're a leader facing uncertainty, don't rush to resolve it. Ask better questions. Create space for others to engage. Trust that discomfort, managed wisely, is not a weakness to overcome—but the very crucible in which real leadership is forged.
