Wisdom Model
In the early 1980’s (1982) Vivian Clayton, a researcher, identified three general aspects of human activity that were central to wisdom — the acquisition of knowledge (cognitive) and the analysis of that information (reflective) filtered through the emotions (affective). This three dimensional model was later (1997) refined by Monika Ardelt at the University of Florida into what she called the “Three Dimensional Wisdom Scale”. The cognitive aspect, for example, included the ability to understand human nature, perceive a situation clearly and make decisions despite ambiguity and uncertainty. The reflective aspect dealt with a person’s ability to examine an event from multiple perspectives, to understand another point of view. And the emotional aspect primarily involved empathy toward others as well as an ability to remain positive in the face of adversity or what we call resiliency. Since that time we have found that the most successful inspirational leaders demonstrate traits, skills and characteristics aligned with these aspects.