That Smarts
A man I admire recently said, “Being smart is not the same as being wise.” I have the honor of gathering with other CEO level leaders several times a year for a roundtable discussion over lunch (hosted by The Kimmell Foundation). Our most recent conversation centered around the impact of AI on our organizations and people. We had a vibrant conversation, but I was most impacted by the statement above.
Like all societal advancements, artificial intelligence has created a wide range of responses. Ideas and concerns about the impact of AI on society and individuals range from apocalyptic to utopian. Some people see AI as dangerous and destructive, while others see it as empowering and creative. Everyone agrees that it will significantly impact society.
What I find most interesting about the conversations surrounding AI is that while we are talking about intelligence, what we are concerned about is wisdom. Or the lack of it. Intelligence is based on gathering empirical facts and knowledge, whereas wisdom relies on the perspective gained from life experiences.
Anyone can gain knowledge. I don’t think we are debating whether the machines have information; they do. People have historically collected significant quantities of information. Today, we have access to more information at our fingertips than we have ever had before. Do we seem to be making consistently better decisions?
Wisdom is the ability to use our experience and knowledge to make sensible decisions and judgments. I don’t know if machines will be able to do that or not, but humans can, if they have two things: open eyes and a humble heart.
We all have experience, but do we have open eyes? Rob Shaul, founder of MTI, said, “Everyone has experience. Wisdom comes from reflection, admitting and owning mistakes, forgiving yourself, learning and stepping back up to the plate for another swing.” Reflection is what turns experience into wisdom.
Taking the time to connect the dots and increase our understanding shifts us from knowing to relating. Paying attention to how things are connected and the impact, or effect, actions have on the people around us turns our experiences into lessons that may increase our ability to make better decisions in the future.
However, without a humble heart we won’t understand the lessons. The Talmud says, “You can educate a fool, but you cannot make him think.” Without humility, we cannot accept the education our experience brings to us. We learn more from failure than success. The proud never fail.
If we have humility, we can admit and own our mistakes and become wiser from them. Wisdom is also found in community where we can draw on other’s experiences and failures rather than having to experience everything ourselves. Healthy community rarely exists around people who lack humility. As leaders, sometimes the people we serve are the best sources for information that turns into lessons. That information is hard to get if you’re humble. It’s impossible to get if you’re proud.
“That smarts” comes from the Old English “smeart”, meaning “causing pain.” Interestingly, the experiences that create the most opportunity for growth are often painful. For me, it took great loss and pain to shift my journey from decades of acquiring knowledge and being prideful to applying my experience to make a difference in the lives of those around me.
We have all the intelligence we need, machine or otherwise. What we need more of is wisdom. Communities where people are supported as they fail and try again, encouraged to learn from one another, and rewarded for insight as much as for information will have the wisdom to navigate the uncertain (and unknown) future as they live The Bison Way.