Get Smart: 6 Ways to Acquire the Wisdom Needed to Lead Through Complexity

Get Smart was a popular 1960s television show based on the character of secret agent Maxwell Smart (played by Don Adams), also known as Agent 86. The parody, which was also made into a film in 2008, follows the life of Agent 86 who is a quirky, bungling guy fighting against the evil enemy KAOS. Yet, he always succeeds with the help of Agent 99, the Chief, and a case load of gadgets.

Leaders today are facing extraordinary circumstances including rapid intensification of complexity, uncertain financial markets, supply chain disruptions, political polarization, staffing shortages, technological changes and disruptions, and plenty of challenging employee dynamics. If we are honest, like Agent 86, no one is immune to making unwise decisions at times. We can all benefit from getting smarter. Here are 6 ways leaders can acquire the wisdom needed to lead through today’s complexity.

1. Place yourself in the company of smart people.

When I talk about smart leaders, I am not referring to those with an IQ of 199. According to researcher Dr. Mortimer Feinberg, sometimes it is the most intelligent people who make the dumbest choices. Rather, I am referring to people who are known for making smart decisions. And one of the traits of these types of leaders is that they regularly connect with people smarter than themselves. Instead of being insecure and having to be the smartest person in the meeting, they recruit exceptional employees, friends, and advisors from whom they can learn and seek advice. The company we keep will often reflect the choices we make.

2. Experiment, learn, adjust.

Wisdom does not mean never making mistakes. Even the smartest people in the room can make decisions that do not work out because there is no way to make a perfect decision every time. For example, sometimes a leader may oversell a decision by making it sound infallible, “of course it will succeed!” However, there are times we coach leaders to say, “We believe this is the best decision and here is why. However, we may learn more along the way and are willing to continually learn and adjust as we go.” While it may not sound as confident, it also does not sound as arrogant. Some decisions are too complex to “sell” with certainty. Sometimes, it’s best to experiment, learn, and then adjust.

3. Read, watch, and listen.

Leaders learn in different ways. Some learn by reading books and articles. Others learn by watching videos, movies, and documentaries. And some prefer to listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and interviews. My exercise of choice is walking (which I then use to justify my consumption of pizza and mozzarella-stuffed soft pretzels). When my wife is not with me, I have started listening to podcasts even though my preferred way of learning is reading.

I recently listened to a podcast interview where a nationally known writer shared how, in the midst of his successful life, his marriage eroded, his kids went off to adulthood, and he had few deep friendships or hobbies. In other words, his life was visibly successful yet morally and relationally empty. He had made decisions for years that came up short, and now he had to make different decisions – better decisions in the second half of his life. He humbly and transparently shared his story for others to learn from and make different choices than he did. If you want to get smart, read, watch, and listen.

4. Become an advice chaser.

Wise decision-makers are very comfortable intentionally seeking advice. I can think of three successful leaders right now who, in the midst of thinking through a decision, called and said, “Tell me what you think about ____,” and, “What am I missing?” Asking for guidance requires both confidence and humility. Confidence that you are secure in where you have knowledge and humility to acknowledge where you are not the expert. After experiencing a crisis in his organization, I recently had a client say, “The smartest thing we did was call you guys. We would have made so many mistakes if we had tried to figure this out on our own.” Advice chasers are almost always going to exceed “advice avoiders” when it comes to making smart choices.

5. Tap the brakes before complex decisions.

There are two contrasting ways leaders can fail at making smart decisions. First, they can make them too slow – needing more data, more time, more input, more alternatives. But the opposite is equally damaging – being impulsive by making a decision before seeking advice, talking with others, or conducting due diligence. But sometimes tapping the brakes before a complex decision does not require months or weeks. Sometimes it only requires a few hours or even minutes. This is why Proverbs says, “But everyone who is in a hurry certainly comes to poverty.” Pilots, trauma surgeons, and police are a few examples of how, when facing limited time and pressure, even milliseconds can make the difference between a bad choice and a good one or a good choice and a better one.

6. Be on guard for inattentional blindness.

Inattentional blindness is when we fail to see what is very visible because we are focused on something else. For example, I once had a CT Scan for a kidney stone, and the radiology report noted another issue unrelated to the kidney stone. That was in my records for years, and no one ever mentioned it, even after multiple appointments. It was only after I was about to have a routine procedure years later, when the doctor said, “Hey, do you know you have this thing on your radiology report? Have you ever had that checked out?” I said what every naive patient says, “No one ever told me to!”

How did all of the other doctors who looked at my medical records miss that? They were focused on the kidney stone and were not looking at the surrounding areas, and that is an example of inattentional blindness. Inattentional blindness can also be influenced by wanting something so badly that we ignore conflicting information, or it can happen when we are fatigued which makes it easier to not see something. Being aware of inattentional blindness and utilizing others to help catch it will help leaders acquire wisdom and reduce bad decisions.

If you would like to learn more about how our coaches and consultants can help you become a leader who makes wiser decisions, contact us.

Jay Desko is the President & CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.