From Smart to Wise: Acting and Leading with Wisdom

CHAPTER SIX

Develop Flexible Fortitude

Know When to Hold and When to Fold

Leaders must apply discernment and discrimination when making decisions: they must be perceptive of the data and the context in which the decision is being made, and they must bring logic, emotion, intuition, and instinct to bear on the final decision. Once they come to a decision, leaders need to demonstrate fortitude—the courage to stay the course and see the decision through and yet be flexible enough to change direction or even abort the project when needed. In her tenure as founder and leader of Teach For America, Wendy Kopp has demonstrated an ability to hold and to fold at the appropriate times.

Kopp wasn’t a star student when she started at the Highland Park High ...