Wisdom is a defining attribute of the successful leader. Although many gifted
philosophers and leaders — Confucius, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Cicero, St.
Thomas Aquinas, and Descartes — have explored the virtue of wisdom in leadership, in
its current form, the study of wisdom has been aided by advances in the psychological
sciences and management theory. R. R. Kilburg introduces the concept of Executive
Wisdom and explores how consultants and coaches can help leaders become wiser in
the conduct of their offices and how these same concepts can be applied to senior
leadership teams. What is Executive Wisdom, and how can it be developed through
coaching? Executive Wisdom emerges from a complex matrix of factors that affect an
individual leader's thoughts, behavior, and emotions, including his or her organization,
biopsychosocial systems, behavioral interfaces, internalized human wisdom system,
external and internal challenges, and environment. It develops through the
discernment, decision making, and executive action that leaders take in their daily
lives. Synthesizing a rich array of concepts and processes, such as wisdom mapping,
Kilburg deepens the reader's understanding of leadership performance and explains the
causes and consequences of executive failure.