Intelligent, But Not Wise – Why Some Leaders Are Failing

By Peter Vajda, Ph.D

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.” – Charles Haddon Spurgeon

 While many have lost their way due to egregious moral and ethical missteps, just as many are facing a dead end due to their inability to see the big picture from a higher not-so-common perspective. Many of these leaders are intelligent, but, unfortunately, not wise.

“We thought, because we had power, we had wisdom.” Stephen Vincent Benet

Our minds work on two levels – a lower level and a higher level. The lower level deals with the concrete – our immediate physical environment and reality, information, facts and logic. Accessing the lower mind, we move through our day as aware, conceptual and reflective. Our lower mind is rational, analytical, opinionated, busy and most often skeptical. It is bound by time and space. We use our lower mind to make sense of our complicated and emotional world. The lower mind is the stuff of MBAs, business school and “operations-focused” education and experiential learning.

“Wisdom is what’s left after we’ve run out of personal opinions.” – Cullen Hightower

The lower mind brings one to reductionist thinking and mechanistic, conventional approaches to life and living. The main drawback of living in one’s lower mind consistently is that the lower mind represents one’s internal map of reality. It’s like being stuck in your own intellectual zip code, never moving beyond your nine-digit thoughts, beliefs, assumptions, expectations, worldviews, premises, etc. It’s like living in one town, knowing it completely, and never venturing outside the borders of that town. Intelligent leaders are usually engaged with their lower mind, and, relatedly, left-brain thinking. The lower mind focuses on the corner of the painting. Wisdom does not arise from this place.

The higher mind deals with the abstract, that accesses intuition, aspiration, heart, soul and spirit. Our higher mind connects with the Universal mind, the impersonal and abstract realms and with Universal truth, beauty and goodness. Our higher mind speaks in the language of ideas, ideals, symbols, principles, archetypes and impulses. It is intuitive, and guides us to the truth. It is loving and universal. The higher mind see the threads woven between the mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, psychological, environmental and social aspects of our life. The higher mind see the entire painting – the place where wisdom arises.

“Our own physical body possesses a wisdom which we who inhabit the body lack.” – Henry Miller

Wise leaders live their actuality and their potential – accessing both their lower and higher minds. Wise leaders understand they are spiritual beings living in a human form and allow their lower minds to access their higher. Allowing their higher mind supports the wise leader to access intuition and impressions that give one insights into the larger picture of life. Wise leaders understand the importance of focus, presence, self-discipline, meditation, study, loving service and creative expression. They seem to consistently seek to grasp the next higher level of awareness. They venture outside their historical map of reality – willing to jettison their old, “safe” beliefs, assumptions, expectations, worldviews, etc., and explore the possible and the unknown. They’re open to knowing what they don’t know.

Wise leaders understand that spiritual and personal growth means connecting with higher concepts and energies such as values, ideas, ideals, potentials, archetypes, higher guidance and intuition. The wise leader develops the capacity to not only connect with these higher concepts, but, as importantly, seek to ground them into forms, tasks, projects, relationships, and details, etc., that inform the way they lead in their day-to-day life at work. Wise leaders don’t stop with experience, but transcend experience, both their own and others’, in a way that they spend an appreciative amount of time and energy in deep self-reflection and thoughtful consideration around their experience, leading to higher insights, enhanced value and a deeper sense of self-awareness.

“We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us.” – Marcel Proust

Wise leadership is not about having experiences, but consciously learning from those experiences. The process of learning from experience engages one in a process of inquiry – looking with curiosity, not judgment, into the who, what, when, where, how and, most importantly, the why of their experiences. Inquiry is a matter of punctuation; it’s about question marks, not periods. Curiosity.

Wise leaders understand the connection between diverse, and seemingly disconnected, elements to create something new. Wise leaders are adept at using analogy and metaphor and seek to recognize patterns, spot trends, draw connections and discern the big picture even when, at first glance, there seem to be nothing there. A wise leader interacts with her world in terms of a richer and more varied spectrum of possibilities and opportunities. A wise leader understands the importance of relationships, human and otherwise. A wise leader is a systems thinker, a gestalt thinker a holistic thinker. Wise leaders are comfortable being oriented to their right brain, as well as to their heart and soul.

Inquiry, for the wise leader, is not about “futurizing the past” – using their past experiences, the known, the tried and true to explain present experiences that are un-common, un-usual, un-familiar. Inquiry involves delving deeply into the self, even parts of the self that, heretofore, might have been unknown, in order to search for new insights, perspectives and understanding – seeking familiarity with the unknown.

“To make no mistakes is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future.” – Plutarch

Inquiry means creating an internal space, a space unencumbered by one’s old thoughts, beliefs, premises, stories, worldviews, solutions, etc. – a clear, inviting and open space and entering into a fresh “new” realm, without preconception or expectation, to be informed with new learning, new sense, new meaning, new WHYs and new HOWs, i.e., new clarity – new wisdom.

Many intelligent leaders don’t know they aren’t wise. Here are some indications to help them see where there’s room for wisdom-making:

They are task-oriented and focused on short-term gains, i.e, the corner of the painting, and often fail to step back and view the painting from 25 miles out – the painting being their respective business and their respective profession/industry.

They choose to limit alternatives when engaged in analysis. They fear ambiguity and are closed to myriad possibilities and perspectives; they fear the unknown and taking risks. They buckle under stress and tend to back away from challenges.

They are linear thinkers and feel they must be rational and logical. They are unable or unwilling to allow their “gut” or intuition to inform their decision-making process.

They can’t or won’t act “for the common good” when they are faced with conflict between or among multiple parties, or differing priorities. They refuse to consider “right action” or the well-being of the group, team or community in favor of relying on the conventional or prevailing attitude or perspective, or their own personal goals.

They have no deep sense of self-awareness, and lack spiritual and emotional intelligence. They focus on their strengths, deny their weaknesses and never allow their emotions to surface.

They lack a people-orientation. They can’t be bothered making an effort to see others from a personal (as opposed to a functional) perspective. They don’t know how to, or are unwilling to, deal with others’ emotions, or emotional well-being. Relationship building is not their forte, by choice.
They lack harmony – there is no alignment or congruence between what they think, feel, say and do.

“Not by age but by capacity is wisdom acquired. Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?” – T. S. Eliot

When we reflect and contemplate from a deeper level, when we choose to “go inside” and honestly, sincerely and self-responsibly ask ourselves if our stories are true, we are using our higher mind and engaging the wisdom of our heart and soul. Relying on our heart and soul’s inner wisdom and intelligence open us up to new ways of seeing, do-ing and be-ing – discovering and exploring new territory and new maps of reality, new zip codes – supporting us to understand and deal with today’s uncommon challenges in new ways.

Using one’s higher mind is what will support today’s intelligent leaders to become tomorrow’s wise leaders.

So, our $10 food for thought questions are:

Would you characterize yourself as largely “left-brained?” What would others say about you?
Do you consider yourself “emotionally intelligent?” On a scale of 1-10, how emotionally intelligent are you? What would your close friends and co-workers say? Would you feel comfortable asking them? If not, why not?
Is your organization using its “higher mind” as it considers strategies to deal with future challenges?
Do you consider your leaders to be “wise?” How about you? Are you a “wise” soul? How do you know?
What was your experience of “wisdom” as you were growing up? Was engaging with the “unknown” a way of being, or were you encouraged to engage with life in a safe and secure mode?
How often do you take time to seriously and deeply reflect on your life’s experiences?
Would you say you are a “task-oriented” or “people-oriented” person at work? How about at home? Would others agree?
Would you generally rather be right or happy? Why?
How do you deal with the unknown?
Can you envision a world at work where people are regularly encouraged to take time out for meditation, self-reflection and discovery?

“The best mind might be the wisest mind if it were a mind alone that produces wisdom.” (anonymous)

—ABOUT THE AUTHOR—

Peter Vajda, Ph.D, C.P.C. is a founding partner of SpiritHeart, an Atlanta-based company that supports conscious living through coaching and counseling. With a practice based on the dynamic intersection of mind, body, emotion and spirit, Peter’s ‘whole person’ coaching approach supports deep and sustainable change and transformation.

Peter facilitates and guides leaders and managers, individuals in their personal and work life, partners and couples, groups and teams to move to new levels of self-awareness, enhancing their ability to show up authentically and with a heightened sense of well be-ing, inner harmony and interpersonal effectiveness as they live their lives at work, at home, at play and in relationship.

Peter is a professional speaker and published author. For more information: http://www.spiritheart.net, or pvajda@spiritheart.net, or phone 770.804.9125.

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Sunday, July 10,2011 – Creativity

Chaos in the world brings uneasiness, but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth.
Tom Barrett

You Are What You Need

By Neil Tepper, The Creativity Doctor -

Remember Susan Boyle, the woman from Britain who transformed overnight from an ugly duckling to the glorious swan? She received her final blue ribbon with a major record contract and an appearance on “Oprah.”

What I continue to love about this story is not simply how she unleashed that beautiful voice from within her plain exterior and gave us a chance to cheer in our often cheerless times – but that the elegant swan had always existed within her. The world just couldn’t see it because it was focused on her outward appearance. It took the singing competition to show people how to view beyond the duckling and gaze at the lovely swan.

It’s the same with each of us. We project a certain image by our outward appearance – our body type, our wardrobe, how we carry ourselves, our resume, our portfolio of success. But, there’s so much more to us than that.

These days there’s a lot of confusion about this. In a world of fierce competition and shifting winds, many of us are walking around, eyes weary, shoulders sagging, confidence shaken — feeling we don’t know enough, haven’t done enough, don’t have enough friends on Facebook — whatever the inadequacy de jour.

The fact is that you have exactly what you need. Always did. Always will.

In fact, YOU are what you need.

The talents, the gifts, the accomplishments are just embellishments to who you really ARE. Inside. Behind the duckling of your seemingly-meager portfolio of riches.

Behind the dowdy image of what you believe you haven’t accomplished yet, lives the glorious swan of who you are and are becoming.

Brain Foods – How Eating Right Can Save Your Brain

By David Allen -

Our brains work best on the prehistoric diet that shaped their evolution. However, our modern diet is a far cry from that of our ancestors. For generations, hunters and gatherers survived on wide game, wild greens, fruits, berries and roots. The typical western diet, on the other hand, includes large quantities of processed and fast foods.

Jean Carper in her book “Your Miracle Brain” found that, compared to a stone age diet, we consume:

  • ·One tenth the amount of fibre
  • ·A similar amount of carbohydrates but only one quarter as much from fruits and vegetables (the rest tends to be empty calorie sugars)
  • ·One third the amount of potassium and almost seven times the amount of sodium (or a ratio of potassium to sodium of roughly 1-2 instead of the preferred 10-1)

Research has shown that this modern diet hampers mental performance and can lead to serious long term deterioration of our brains. In particular, two of the major culprits in this mental deterioration are too much sugar and too few antioxidants.

How Sugar Affects the Brain

The Problem of Too Much Glucose

Glucose, the form of sugar that circulates in the blood, is critical to optimal functioning of the brain. Indeed, glucose is the brain’s exclusive source of fuel. Deficiencies in glucose levels can cause the brain to slow down and malfunction. This blood sugar comes from the foods we eat, particularly from carbohydrates such as sweets and starches.

The trick is to make sure that we produce the right amount of glucose to suit our brain’s requirements. For instance there is evidence that more glucose is burned when the brain is working hard to solve a problem. So in some cases, a quick boost in blood sugar levels may be helpful when the brain is active. However, the bigger problem for most westerners is not having sufficient glucose but having too much.

The diet of most westerners includes many carbohydrates that are quickly converted to glucose. This constant high level of glucose triggers the production of insulin whose job is to allow the glucose to move from the blood and into the cells where it is needed. If the glucose levels are too high, insufficient insulin can be produced to do the job properly. Over time, the cells react by becoming less sensitive to insulin putting more and more strain on the pancreas to make more insulin. This vicious cycle sets the stage for Type 2 diabetes in adults. It also can lead to a number of conditions that affect cognitive function including a thickening of the carotid artery going to the brain and high blood pressure. It is thought that this high glucose/insulin combination affects IQ levels, memory, learning and general brain function.

Getting the Right Amount of Glucose

So how do we prevent this glucose overload? One of the key methods is to pick foods that are converted to glucose slowly which allows the pancreas to keep up with the insulin needs and prevents the development of insulin resistance. In particular, it is important to choose the carbohydrates you eat carefully. It’s not that all carbohydrates are bad. It’s just that some create sharp rises in blood glucose while others break down gradually and help regulate the flow of glucose to the brain. Not surprisingly, the “fast” or “high glycemic” carbohydrates include items like refined sugars and cookies. But the list of high glycemic foods is not obvious and includes most breads, rice, packaged cereals, and potatoes. On the other hand, foods such as legumes, nuts, pasta, low fat dairy products, most fruits and vegetables are good at delivering a controlled amount of glucose to the cells.

Antioxidants and the Brain

Free radicals are formed when glucose and oxygen are burned. Much has been written about the damage that free radicals can do to the body. However, the brain is particularly susceptible since it burns more oxygen and glucose than any other organ. (and produces lots of free radicals). Free radicals cause problems in the brain by eating through the defensive layers of the brain cells and destroying neurons. It doesn’t help that the neuron membranes are made of fatty acids that react strongly to the free radicals.

Antioxidants are substances that neutralize the free radicals to stop this cell destruction. They include vitamins C & E as well as beta-carotene and many others. The best way to get these antioxidants working for you is by eating lots of fruits and vegetables. In particular the top ten sources of antioxidants are:

1. Prunes

2. Raisons

3. Berries

4. Garlic

5. Spinach

6. Brussel sprouts

7. Plums

8. Alfalfa sprouts

9. Broccoli

10. Beets

Other important antioxidants include:

Lycopene – This potent antioxidant is found in tomatoes and tomato products such as tomato paste, sauce, soup and juice

Tea – Drinking tea can provide your brain with a quick source of antioxidants. Black or green tea are good but instant teas, bottled teas or herbal teas have little protective value.

Wine – Light drinking (about one drink/day) provides a beneficial level of antioxidants that prevents the decay of brain cells. Red wine in particular, has a high level of antioxidants. On the other hand, excessive drinking is harmful to the brain so you might want to try grape juice as a non-alcoholic alternative.

Chocolate – The good news is that chocolate can be good for you. Pick dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate to maximize the antioxidant content.

It appears that eating “smart” is not only good for general health, but can improve thinking, creativity, learning ability and memory while staving off long term mental deterioration.

David Allen is an award-winning inventor with a strong interest in simple and practical methods to enhance creative thinking. Visit http://www.creativityboosters.com for more easy tools and techniques to increase your creativity.

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April 22, 2011 – Creativity

“The imagination imitates. It is the critical spirit that creates.”

- Oscar Wilde

Creativity “Prescriptions for Parents”

By Neil Tepper -

I was once asked by the parenting reporter at a Hawaii newspaper for five creativity “Prescriptions for Parents.”

In honor of Mother’s Day (yes, I know it’s EVERY day, ladies), here are my top five creative parenting tips. Not just for moms, of course, these are for everyone who is parenting a child today.

1. Creativity is much more than just artistic talent. It is a powerful tool that we all can use to solve problems in new ways. Allow kids to find their own unique way to their own preferences, inclinations, skills and talents. Observe and encourage these tendencies in them rather than inserting yourself and your own preferences into their natural process, or by comparing them to other kids’ talents. Even letting them make their own mistakes is a wonderful way to encourage them, show your unconditional support for them and to allow them to learn their own lessons.

2. Since life-balance is an issue for everyone. Teach your children elements of moderation at an early age. Whether it’s time in front of the television or computer or texting; or, in eating moderate quantities and types of foods; or in demonstrating behaviors of consumerism (yes, kids get those messages from you as well as from their environment), or any other aspect of excess.

3. We are born creative, exploring our lives mostly from the right side of our brain. The early years are about learning how the world works and developing the logical, left side of our brains. As adults, we tend to allow the right-brain, creative side to languish and fall into dis-use. Keep creativity alive as kids grow and develop by encouraging them to frequently be in Nature, by constantly piquing their curiosity and by helping them to fine-tune their sensory abilities.

4. Parents are people too. Don’t forget to take care of yourself. The first thing they tell you when you settle into your seat on an airplane is to “put your own oxygen mask on before trying to help others.” You can’t care adequately for your children if you, yourself, are not healthy in body, mind and spirit.

5. Don’t just tell kids to do stuff because, “I said so.” Take time to explain the true consequences and positive benefits of their actions. Then, take time to listen to their perspective of the situation. Kids have an uncanny ability to see things from such a pure place that they can illuminate an issue in a way we never thought of before. Listening attentively to kids also demonstrates your respect for their point of view, which builds trust between you both as well as a strong self-image for the child.

What tips would you offer?

For anyone who needs a reminder (you know who you are), Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 8th. Don’t let a chance to let the many women in your life – whether they are moms, aunties, cousins, grandmas, mentors, coaches, teachers, godparents, friends or neighbors – know that they make the world a better place.

Editor’s note: Neil Tepper’s Prescriptions for Parents originally appeared in the Honolulu Advertiser. To learn how to live a more creative life – beyond parenting – check out Neil’s new book, “Prescriptions for Living A Creative Life,” now available at Amazon.

April 6, 2011 – Creativity

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”

- Scott Adams

Creativity: It’s Not Just for Artists Anymore

By Neil Tepper, The Creativity Doctor -

There are so many myths and misperceptions about creativity.

When I lead creativity workshops, I usually begin by asking the participants their definition of this most elusive concept. Usually, the answers I hear are something like – artistic, fun, playful, freedom, outside the box … and others you may even say yourself.

The fact is that creativity is all of those things – and so much more. I tell the workshop members that I’ll share my definition of creativity later on but that regardless of the definition, the important thing to know is creativity lives inside everyone. All of us. Even you.

Do you think of yourself as creative?

So many people I meet say, “Who, me? No way. I’m not creative. I can’t carry a tune.” Or, “I can’t draw a straight line.”

And there we have the most prevailing myth of all: That creativity is synonymous with artistic talent.

The truth is that creativity is not only about painting a picture, writing a screenplay or playing the piano. Creativity is a powerful force available and accessible to anyone who is willing to see things in new ways.

You may be surprised that one of the most creative people I ever worked with was the chief financial officer of The Coca-Cola Company. Yes, a bean counter; a hard-numbers type; a very disciplined senior executive.

In addition to creating new financial models and other sophisticated principles for accounting and global investment, this very powerful executive dared to see the very function of corporate finance in a new way. And, he called the Company’s worldwide finance managers together (a multi-media conference I produced) to tell them that from now on he wanted them to see their jobs in a new way. It’s not enough to count beans, he told them; he wanted them to help grow the beans, as well. It wasn’t surprising that his success led him to be Coke’s CEO a few years later.

So, what is my definition of creativity? I thought you’d never ask. Okay, here’s a secret. Promise not to tell? We really don’t create anything! Everything’s been created already! What we do is re-arrange things. We create new forms of things that already exist. We see things in new ways.

For example, Mozart used the same notes that McCartney uses. There haven’t been any new musical notes created lately. Shakespeare used the same words as your daughter uses to chat with friends – although I’m sure she didn’t use words like “wherefore art thou?” and for sure, the Bard didn’t refer to things as “LTHTT” or “MOS” (instant messaging abbreviations for Laughing Too Hard To Type and my personal favorite, Mom Over Shoulder.) But, they used the same letters of the English alphabet, just re-arranged in different combinations.

Now, here’s the “LTHTT” thing: You can learn how to think and see in new ways. You can learn how to re-arrange the notes, the words, the elements of your own life.

When you apply creativity to any aspect of your life – for greater business success, enhanced relationships, living with less stress and more passion and, yes, learning how to paint or play the piano – you live from your true power.

Oh, and another myth about creativity is that it’s some random bolt out of the blue. The truth is that creativity can be evoked at will. All you need is the will power to start to see things in new ways. To “dare” to re-arrange the elements in your life so they align with your constantly changing needs and desires.

That’s what I call living creatively. Now, that’s real art.

March 10, 2011 – Creativity

“Everything is raw material. Everything is relevant. Everything is usable. Everything feeds into my creativity. But without proper preparation, I cannot see it, retain it, and use it.”
Twyla Tharp

Thanks to The Happiness Project for this quote.

New Television Series “The Creativity Salon” with Creativity Expert Neil Tepper Premieres March 18

“The Creativity Salon” belies the creativity crisis in America

HONOLULU – March 7, 2011: “The Creativity Salon,” a new television series with creativity expert Neil Tepper, premieres at 8:00 p.m. H.S.T. on Friday, March 18, 2011 on O’ahu Channel 52 – an ‘Ōlelo network channel – as well as on the web at olelo.org. Tepper’s half-hour lifestyle talk show explores the creative arts and the art of living a creative life. In each episode, Tepper welcomes guests from Hawai`i and around the world, including artists, business leaders and educators, who share how they use creativity to enhance their personal and professional lives. “The Creativity Salon” responds to America’s creativity crisis with real-world examples of how to apply inspiration and innovation to everyday life for greater fulfillment and success.

“Creativity is so much more than artistic talent,” said Tepper. “It’s a powerful force that everyone can tap into. Given the current buzz about the creativity crisis in America and the decline of innovation in American companies, the time is ripe for ‘The Creativity Salon.’ Viewers will gain insights into how to apply their own innate creativity to improve their work life and personal life.”

Upcoming episodes feature:

  • “We All Have a Story” – with Jeff Gere, one of America’s most prolific and popular storytellers
  • “The Art of Teaching” – with Kristen Brummel, Hawai`i “Teacher of the Year” for 2011
  • “Creativity Without Borders” – with Jelena Gasic, London- and Serbia-based creativity teacher
  • “Follow Your Vision” – with 11-year-old Hawaiian author Kekaulele Kawaiae’a
  • Future episodes will feature singing legend, Jimmy Borges; TV producer, Emme Tomimbang; and other notables and celebrities

“As a bridge between East and West, Hawai`i is the perfect place to cultivate the seeds of creativity,” continued Tepper. “Broadcasting on ‘Ōlelo is the ideal vehicle to share these ideas with viewers around world, who can conveniently stream ‘The Creativity Salon’ from their homes, laptops and workplaces.”

“The Creativity Salon” will air the first and third Friday of the month at 8:00 p.m. H.S.T., as well as every Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. H.S.T. It will also stream live and On-Demand at olelo.org. In addition, episodes will also be archived on TheCreativitySalon.com.

Tepper – a former creative director for The Coca-Cola Company, Universal Television and the 1996 Olympics – coaches executives, artists and other high achievers seeking a creative edge. Known as “The Creativity Doctor,” Tepper helps people harness the power of their own creativity for greater business success and deeper personal fulfillment. His new book, “Prescriptions For Living A Creative Life” offers simple, creative solutions for common problems we face in our fast-paced information-based world. “Prescriptions For Living A Creative Life” is available at Amazon and in bookstores across the country. In addition to being a trusted coach, Tepper is an award-winning photographer, songwriter, and columnist for The Self Improvement Blog. For more information about Tepper, visit neiltepper.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kristin Jackson

808-428-1625

Kristin@jacksonink.net