A Handbook of Practical Wisdom: Leadership, Organization and Integral Business Practice

摘要

Who would have thought that wisdom would be making a comeback? After decades of focusing on data, information, and more recently, knowledge, we are now in the midst of a clear resurgence with respect to a focus on wisdom. Over the past few years, several significant volumes have been published on theoretical and practical aspects of wisdom with contributions coming from a very diverse set of authors, few of whom are from the traditional source of this type of thinking-philosophy. What accounts for this dramatic shift? From my perspective, I would argue that one clear predictor is the failure of abundant, easy to find and use information and even knowledge to ensure moral, equitable, virtuous, positive, and healthy organizations. The recent financial crisis offers much evidence for this, as do the many memoirs and studies of life in large firms with a strict and sole focus on the importance of perceived shareholder value. Even to the great proponents of this embattled doctrine, something seems to be missing in the overall equations.