The second characteristic a leader needs to develop is insight. It’s tied for first place with the compassion we discussed earlier. You need both, together.
Insight is not book-learning. Book-learning is very important, but it’s of a lower order; it’s drier, more arid. Go get it, but don’t stop there!
Insight–also called wisdom, also called accurate perception–is first hand. It’s just me, calling it as I see it, period. Insight carries a power that book-learning simply doesn’t have. So we treasure it in our friends and coworkers…it’s a rare and beautiful thing. Also, totally necessary for our survival!
How do you develop insight and wisdom? Similar path to compassion we discussed earlier, though not identical: quiet presence, be in the now, don’t get blown away by distraction; but this time, along with listening/observing with your heart, also gently bring in your critical, discerning faculty. Ask what’s wrong with this picture. Sort it out, but more with feeling than dry rationality. Don’t spin a story, and don’t try too hard. Just notice what’s happening, but also allow just a smidge of imagination.
The difficult thing: we project. We filter our perception by what we want to see, or through the lens of old hurts or deeply-held beliefs. Jettison all that, be naked to only what’s happening . It’s SO obvious when other people are projecting rather than accurately perceiving, but it’s pretty hard to see it in ourselves. But that’s the challenge faced by the Globally Conscious Leader®.
Recommended experiment: commit yourself to the twin goal of being insightful and compassionate for a week. See what happens.
