Wisdom Is a Daily Choice
This week I started reading Ryan Holiday’s Wisdom Takes Work. The main title is how he starts the book.
Wisdom is not something you have.
It is something you do.
It is a choice. A daily one.
Holiday defines wisdom as knowing what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. It is clarity. It is seeing things as they are, not as we wish they were.
That matters deeply for leaders. Because leadership is a thinking person’s game.
Judgment Drives Everything
Leaders make decisions all day long. Some are small. Some change the trajectory of a team, a business, or a life. What separates great leaders is not effort – it is judgment. And judgment is built on wisdom.
Wisdom requires work.
It requires curiosity.
It requires a hunger to learn.
It requires time spent thinking, not just doing.
Most people want better results. Few are willing to do the work required to think better.
The Hard Truth About Self Awareness
The greatest form of wisdom is self-awareness.
Can you see yourself clearly?
Can you see your team clearly?
Can you see your business clearly?
By seeing clearly, I mean that you are not seeing where you hope you are going, but rather where you actually are right now.
Many leaders make decisions based on aspiration instead of reality. That creates misalignment.
Great leaders face reality head on. They accept where they are and make decisions that move them forward with clarity and purpose.
The Relentless Pursuit
Holiday makes another point that is both humbling and motivating.
We can get wiser, but never fully wise. We can improve, but we never arrive.
That means leadership is not for those seeking to be comfortable. Leadership is for those who refuse to settle. Those who stay curious. Those who are willing to think harder and go deeper than others. Leadership is for those who care enough to keep growing.
A Simple Challenge
This week, I challenge you to create space to think.
Ask yourself:
Where am I not seeing reality clearly?
What decision am I avoiding because I have not thought deeply enough about it?
Then act. Wisdom without action is wasted. And action without wisdom is dangerous. Let’s pursue both.
“Imagine that you have died. Now take what’s left of your life and live it properly.”
- Marcus Aurelius
Stay steady.
Want more like this every week?
Order The Steady Leader Book: Order Book
Open A Laundromat Franchise: Learn More
God Bless!
~ Schuyler Williamson