7 Attributes of a Wise Leader

By Ron Edmondson

“Wise leaders are valuable to any organization.”

I write and speak a lot about leadership. I know lots of good leaders. In fact, I work with many good leaders. I hope some would even say I have days where I meet the standard—whatever the standard is.
I also write and speak a good deal about wisdom. And I think wisdom is critical to the field of good leadership.
A wise leader has developed certain attributes—wisdom learned from the personal experience of success and failure and from the insight of other leaders—which sets them apart from other leaders. Wise leaders are valuable to any organization.
But, I’ll be honest. There are few I know in leadership whom I would consider truly wise. Wise leaders have moved to a new stage in life from mostly learning from others to being looked to as a resource. People seek their input because they know they are seasoned leaders. They are investors in new generations of leaders.
I am going to list some attributes I have observed in leaders who have  wisdom. Think in your mind people you believe are “wise” leaders.

Here are seven attributes of a wise leader:

The Art of Timing
The wise leader knows time is a commodity. They use sound judgement in decision-making. They have patience. They know organizations and individuals have seasons. Seasons of plenty and seasons of want. They have learned there is a right time to act and and there are times to wait.
Character Morality
The wise leader places a high value on integrity. They know ultimately everything rises and falls on the moral fiber of an individual. They’ve seen people lose everything with one bad decision. They know reputation is hard-earned and should be treated as gold.
Leads With Vision
The wise leader understands the value of a big picture. They keep an eye on something worth attaining. They continually motivate others by sharing the “Why.” They know momentum lost is hard to regain. They continually seek change that will spur energy around the vision.
Initiative
The wise leader is risk-taking and intentionally encourages innovation. They have witnessed a stalled organization. They know the dreadful feeling when there is no forward progress. They have personally experienced the cost of lost opportunity. They want to engage others by keeping things moving, people dreaming and the culture exciting.
Visible Diligence
The wise leader continues in spite of adversity. They tenaciously persevere. They know reaching a goal is worth the struggles to get there. They’ve been through storms before and have scars to prove you can come through them whole. They are seen as pillars. Strength under duress. People look to them for stability.
Strategic Thinkers
The wise leader realizes no dream becomes reality without proper planning. They make sure plans are in place and people know what’s expected of them. They utilize healthy systems and structures. They aren’t burdensome with rules, but they are helpful in thinking through a process to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization.
Genuinely Love People
The wise leader knows people are the key to any organizational or team success and they work to empower others. Others know they are valued and appreciated under their leadership. They are true delegators. They invest in and develop the next generation. They look past the income statement to see the balance sheet—with people as the greatest asset.
What am I missing? What would you add to my list?  

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Ron Edmondson is a pastor and church leader passionate about planting churches, helping established churches thrive, and assisting pastors and those in ministry think through leadership, strategy and life. Ron has over 20 years business experience, mostly as a self-employed business owner, and he's been helping churches grow vocationally for over 10 years. More from Ron Edmondson or visit Ron at http://www.ronedmondson.com/