From Smart to Wise: Acting and Leading with Wisdom

Cocreating Sustainable Value with All Stakeholders

In keeping with their competitive nature (the red zone) and fixed mind-set (the blue zone), smart leaders believe that the size of the market is fixed. They aim to grab as big a piece of pie as possible, or, in the case of leaders operating out of the blue zone, to hold on to every piece of pie they already have. This selfish attitude stems from their belief in business being a zero-sum game.

Wise leaders recognize that the world is becoming more interdependent and therefore seek to cocreate value with others. They reach out to others and invite them to collectively create a bigger pie so everyone can get a bigger slice. Outdoor clothing and apparel company Patagonia, for example, encourages ...