When wisdom departs foolishness rules

Concept of standing out of the crowd. [Getty Images]

A leader can be inflicted with foolishness. The folly condition gets chronic when the inflicted still think of their decisions and expressions as wise. Blind to the flood of foolishness, they continue with their daily lives unaware of the calamity. The foolishness is so obvious sometimes it's astounding. A dad narrated an experience where when watching the news on TV with his 10-year-old son, the son asked him "How did that man get a PhD?" The dad, taken aback by the comment, asked him, "Why do you ask?" The son replied: "Because that reasoning is unbelievable." Not amazingly but disappointingly unbelievable. When even a child can detect foolishness, the ship is leaking and sinking.

People associate leadership with wisdom. But unfortunately, it is not always so. Leadership does not insulate against foolishness. Even kings and presidents are susceptible to wisdom droughts. Their elevated positions increase the risk of foolishness given the intricate nature of the decisions they must make. High positions grant gaps in increased visibility.