From Smart to Wise Acting and Leading with Wisdom

Leaders tend to obstinately stick to the leadership style that brought them most success in the past, usually one of two extreme styles: functional leadership that focuses on operational excellence or smart leadership that focuses on growth. When a leader's focus is too functional, the organization becomes introverted and can focus too much on bottom-line profitability while missing out on top-line growth opportunities. But when leaders focus too much on smart leadership, the organization may experience quick growth but lose its effectiveness quickly.

From Smart to Wise offers a new approach that balances the two styles to achieve a form of wise leadership that is both functional and smart. Drawing on inspiring real-life stories of historical and contemporary wise leaders such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and even Mahatma Gandhi, the authors identify six characteristics of wise leaders and offer a practical framework to help readers develop their own style of wise leadership.

• A timely and innovative approach to leadership
• Written by noted speakers who conduct dozens of keynote speeches and workshops, training thousands of people annually

Preface ix

1 Wise Leaders Wanted 1

2 Shift Your Perspective: Connect to Your Noble Purpose 29

3 Be Aware of Your Action Orientation: Act Authentically and Appropriately 61

4 Gain Role Clarity: Lead from Any Position 85

5 Clarify Your Decision Logic: Decide with Discernment 113

6 Develop Flexible Fortitude: Know When to Hold and When to Fold 139

7 Discover Drivers of Your Motivation: Act with Enlightened Self-Interest 155

8 Cocreate a Field of Wise Leadership: Find Your Wisdom Logic 177

Notes 209

Acknowledgments 231

About the Authors 235

Index 237

PRASAD KAIPA is a Silicon Valley–based CEO advisor and coach. He was the founding executive director of the Center for Leadership, Innovation and Change at the Indian School of Business and a Richardson Fellow at the Center for Creative Leadership between 2010 and 2011.

NAVI RADJOU is a Silicon Valley–based strategy consultant, a World Economic Forum faculty member, and a Fellow at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. He is also the coauthor of acclaimed Jugaad Innovation (Jossey-Bass, 2012).

For more information, please visit www.fromsmarttowise.com