According to leadership guru Dan Rockwell, “Wisdom is practical know-how. (Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.)”
From observing others over the years it appears to me that wisdom gatherers fall into three categories:
Happenstancers – With this group, little morsels of wisdom “stick” on and to them as result of simply living life.
Attenders – This group shows up for “class” every day. They take the trouble to actually pay attention. They watch, they learn, and they apply the learning when appropriate. Their wisdom grows incrementally. They are present, and accounted for.
Seekers – This group adopts and embraces the HABITS of wisdom acquisition. They read purposefully, they watch intently, they tinker persistently, they listen deeply, they relentlessly engage with many wise others (across learning disciplines), they are on a continuous mission of “connecting the dots.” They have learned the financial lesson of “compounding interest” and apply it adeptly to their wisdom “savings accounts.” In short, their “nutrition” is LEARNING and their “exercise” is the application of that LEARNING.
You know the next question…
*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning.
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Nelson Coulter
Nelson Coulter has held a lot of titles: rancher, educator, author, musician, entrepreneur, coach, mentor, consultant, and professor. He has coached, taught, and been published in many settings. He has served in public schools of all shapes, sizes, and contexts. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at Louisiana State University - Shreveport. His most cherished titles, however, are the ones not attached to career identity: son, husband, dad, and granddad.
