the wisdom of the ages

Why do we deny the wisdom of the ages in business?

Here's what I mean.

When it comes to healing a wound, growing a fetus into a baby or beating our hearts, we trust an intelligence beyond our intellect.

Thank goodness it wasn’t up to me to make the intricate systems of 3 beautiful babies. 

Thank goodness it’s not up to me to keep my heart beating at the exact pulse required to deal with what’s happening moment to moment.

Thanks goodness it’s not up to us to keep the Earth rotating and the Sun shining.

Despite this, we think it’s entirely and solely up to us to grow our business, to lead our teams and to manage our careers.

 While the critical processes above require none of our intellect, we believe that, but for our intellect, our businesses would fail, our leadership would be challenged and our careers would fall apart.

Each challenge in business becomes fodder for our intellect to sort through.

Each hiccup in our career proof that we’re not yet smart enough. 

Each ambitious goal a strategic project for our brain to organize. 

Why do we offer such power to our intellect, and no or little value to our knowing beyond it?

Why when such precious processes are handled by a wisdom well beyond our understanding and knowledge, do we believe that business and leadership benefits only from our brains' capacity?

Why would it not benefit from the same force and energy that spins the planets and grows an acorn into an oak tree?

This year I’ve been forced to live in the moment. Much of what I’ve attempted to plan, I've had to change or cancel.  

At first it was disheartening and frustrating, and then enlightening!

Right now, I'm writing to you from Copenhagen, having taken a business trip that I didn't know would happen until the moment I was in an Uber on my way to the airport. 

(So has been life as we care for my mom and her ever changing health needs.)

This may sound stressful, but I've gotten used to being flexible, with very few set plans or ambitious goals.

Where in the past I depended on my intellect to plan, strategize and organize, I've only been able to attend to what needs attending to in the moment. 

I've invested little to no time trying to plan or strategize.

And, while initially I thought my business would flounder, the very opposite has proven true. 

Which led me to ask, how's this possible?

And is there something to this moment to moment flow of life?

As a prior business executive and MBA graduate, I'm no stranger to strategy and plans. And I'm not suggesting there's no value to our capacity for critical thinking and analysis. 

What I am saying is that there's also something beyond our intellect that is infinitely useful to tap into. 

And realizing that we can depend on this, at the most trying moments of our life and careers, is life changing!
 
What I've noticed is that critical thinking often argues both sides of an issue passionately and with fervour,

but knowing guides with simple clarity.

There's no debate. It simply is what it is. 

So what if we could put our faith on that inner wisdom.

Not as a replacement for our intellect,

but as a most powerful master to it.

What if the old proverb is right,  "the mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master".

What if the wisdom of the ages is always holding our hand as we navigate business challenges, leadership obstacles and life's struggles.

What if it's been there every step of the way.