Home Pastors Articles for Pastors 7 Attributes of a Wise Leader

7 Attributes of a Wise Leader

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.