What Wisdom and Maturity in Action Looks Like in Leadership
Today is one of those days that most Americans won’t soon forget. A few days ago, I read a quote on Seth Godin’s blog that I think is perfect for a day like today. As Godin was reflecting on what wisdom and maturity in action looks like, he presents the perfect metaphor:
We need to plant our trees before we want the shade…
Godin’s point is that leaders who are wise and mature don’t wait until there is a problem to prepare for a problem. It’s the duty of the leaders of a country, state, city, neighborhood, team, or family to plant the trees before the people they lead need the shade. However, fulfilling this duty will never make a leader popular.
Giving people what they want instead of what they need is what makes a leader popular. This means if a leader’s #1 motive is popularity, he or she will focus most of their attention on fulfilling request for immediate gratification.
On the other hand, when a leader has wisdom and maturity being popular is never the priority. With wisdom and maturity leaders learn that the #1 priority is preparation.