Who has wisdom?

As I traveled to Gulu (in Northern Uganda) on 5th August 2007, I carried the 3rd edition of a book entitled, "Not Bosses But Leaders" given to me by the author, Prof. John Adair during one of his recent visits to Uganda. Inside the book I found a piece of paper on which I had scribbled something as I heard Professor Adair respond to questions during one of the monthly sessions of the Uganda Management Forum late last year - each one of us who attended received a complimentary copy of the book.

I do not recall the exact words used in the question but it was about classifying individuals who are considered to have been good leaders and yet in the same breath are considered 'brutal' to the followers. The example given was Adolf Hitler. Professor Adair conceded that Hitler exhibited some tremendous leadership qualities but in modern terms would not qualify to be regarded as one with (practical) wisdom. Professor Adair listed the ingredients of wisdom as intelligence, experience and goodness and asserted that Hitler lacked the latter attribute, goodness.

As I reflected on the ingredients of wisdom, more questions popped up in my mind about each one of them. What kind of intelligence was Prof. Adair talking about - cognitive intelligence (IQ) or emotional intelligence (EQ)? What did he mean by 'experience' and 'goodness'? Is experience simply determined by time spent doing a job or activity? Who defines 'goodness' and its cut-off point?

What do you say?

I must confess that if Prof. Adair explained during that meeting in Kampala what he meant by each of those words, I missed it. I need therefore to read more of his works. In the meantime, I share my humble opinion which may or may not differ from Prof. Adair's.

Most people (at least some in this part of the globe) consider experience to be determined only by the period of time spent doing a job or activity. I am one of those who believe that, in this dynamic era, the amount and quality of experience is not necessarily proportional to the number of years one spends on a job/activity. It is rather how much one has learned from their exposure and how they can appropriately apply that knowledge to generate innovations and new strategies to continue to (progressively) survive in the ever-changing environment.

I should share more of my opinion later. I also hope to read more of Prof. John Adair's works to find out what he meant.