THE WISE ADVOCATE

THE INNER VOICE OF STRATEGIC

LEADERSHIP

BY ART KLEINER, JEFFREY SCHWARTZ,

AND JOSIE THOMSON
 Contents

Figure 1.1 3
Figure 2.1 4
Table 3.1 5
Table 3.2 7
Table 4.1 8
Figure 4.1 9
 With each major decision, you make a choice ...

You solve the problem or make the deal, seeking You consult your inner voice of strategic leadership,
the expedient solution that pleases the right seeking the right long-term result, and make your
people most efficiently. decision accordingly.

This invokes ... This invokes ...

3
LOW Ground: HIGH Ground:
a pattern of mental a pattern of mental
activity that strengthens the activity that strengthens the
associated brain circuits associated brain circuits THE WISE
making it easier to move to making it easier to move to ADVOCATE
TRANSACTIONAL STRATEGIC
leadership in the leadership in the
future future

TRANSACTIONAL Leadership STRATEGIC Leadership

The organization The organization
does what works transcends its limits

Figure 1.1  The moment of choice.

 Executive Center
Lateral prefrontal cortex
Human-evolved brain
function, associated
with goal-directed
responses and planning
“Do what is most
needed.”
Warning
Center
Amygdala, insula, and
orbital frontal cortex
Mammalian-evolved
brain function associated
4
with strong emotion
“Something is
wrong.”
Habit Center
Basal ganglia
Reptilian-evolved brain
function, associated with
automatic responses.
“Do what feels right.”
Figure 2.1  High Ground and Low Ground. Source: Jeffrey Schwartz, Josie Thomson, Art Kleiner, and Wise Advocate Enterprises.
Deliberative
Self-Referencing Center
Dorsal medial prefrontal cortex
Mentalizing
“What others are thinking
and what others
will do.”
Reactive
Self-Referencing Center
Ventral medial prefrontal cortex
Subjective valuation
“Who I am, what I want,
and what others want.”
THE HIGH GROUND
Is invoked by mentalizing and
mindfulness; develops your capacity for
strategic leadership. Messages that call
on the Wise Advocate, focusing on
broad perspective and long-term value,
travel easily along this circuit and
strengthen it.
Self-Referencing Center
Medial prefrontal cortex
Processes information
concerning self and others
THE LOW GROUND
Focuses on solving problems and
expedience, but provides no movement
toward strategic leadership capability.
Deceptive messages travel easily along
this circuit and reinforce it.
 table 3.1
Four Patterns of Mental Activity for Leaders

Pattern Leadership The Wise Advocate Salience (What Activities that Mental Narrative
is Most Likely Invoke this
to Capture Your Pattern
Attention)

Higher Ground Transformational You consciously and What is relevant to Deep Am I consulting my
leadership: Making habitually consult your most significant mindfulness: Wise Advocate? How
the most of your your Wise Advocate goals, and those of Meta-awareness would the loving
organization’s and play the role of your organization; guide in my mind
potential and the Wise Advocate the development of regard what I am
helping it become for the larger orga- your true self. thinking and doing?
what it is called nization, all in the What does it suggest?
to be. process of developing Thinking about what
your true self.

5
you’re thinking;
Paying attention to
Meta-cognition what you’re paying
and Meta-attention attention to.
What am I thinking?
What am I paying
Applied attention to?
mindfulness:
High Ground Strategic leadership: You tend to consult Patterns of behavior (associated with How would an
Addressing problems your Wise Advocate and systems, includ- High and Higher objective, highly
that are too complex when you make ing those beneath the Ground) credible
for an organization to important decisions surface; the thinking observer regard
manage easily; help- and manage others. of people around Consulting the what I am
ing the organization you. Impartial thinking and
transcend its limits; Spectator doing?
being able to rapidly What am I thinking?
move between High Mentalizing What am I likely to
and Low Ground.) about yourself do next?
 Executive What does this look
function: like if viewed from a
Cognitive flexibility different perspective?
Working memory How does this relate
Inhibitory control to what I already
(Free won’t) know?
Should I refrain
from acting on this
impulse?

Mentalizing What is he or she

thinking?
What are they
thinking?
What are they going
to do?

6
Low Ground Transactional You may consult your The problems that Subjective What do they want?
leadership: Making Wise Advocate when need solving right valuation What do I want?
deals and solving it seems relevant. now; the urgent Is it valuable to them?
problems; getting issues that you feel Is it valuable to me?
what you want and you can’t ignore. Is it relevant to me?
giving others what
they want; making Responding to This is the way we do
expedient decisions. habit things around here.

Lower Ground Immature You tend to ignore Your impulses, the Following impulses Something is wrong!
(instinct and leadership: Driven your Wise Advocate. most obvious exter- and emotions I’m attracted to this!
emotion) by sensations, nal events, and the I’m happy, sad,
cravings, and the threats and surprised, angry, dis-
need for immediate rewards you perceive. gusted, desirous, or
gratification. afraid!
I must say or do
something about it!
 table 3.2 
The Boundary Between the High Ground and the Higher Ground

Pattern Leadership The Wise Advocate Activities that Invoke this Pattern Mental Narrative

Higher Transformational leadership:
Ground Making the most of your
organization’s potential and
helping it become what it is
called to be.
You consciously and habitually
consult your Wise Advocate and
play the role of the Wise Advocate
for the larger organization, all in
the process of developing your
true self.
Deep mindfulness: Am I consulting my Wise
Meta-awareness Advocate? How would the
loving guide in my mind regard
what I am thinking and doing?
What does it suggest?
Thinking about what you’re
Meta-cognition and thinking; Paying attention to
Meta-attention what you’re paying attention to.
What am I thinking? What am
Applied mindfulness: I paying attention to?
(associated with High

7
High Strategic leadership: Addressing
Ground problems that are too complex
for an organization to manage
easily; helping the organization
transcend its limits; being able to
rapidly move between High and
Low Ground.)
You tend to consult your
Wise Advocate when you
make important decisions
and manage others.
and Higher Ground) How would an objective, highly
credible observer regard what
Consulting the Impartial I am thinking and doing?
Spectator What am I thinking?
What am I likely to do next?
Mentalizing about
yourself

Executive function: What does this look like if viewed

from a different perspective?
Cognitive flexibility How does this relate to what
Working memory
I already know?
Inhibitory control Should I refrain from acting on this
(Free won’t) impulse?

Mentalizing What is he or she thinking?

What are they thinking?
What are they going to do?
 table 4.1
Common Organizational Deceptive Messages
Misperceptions
Risk Overconfident exceptional-
ism (complacency): The
dangers don’t apply to us.
Value Perfectionism (all-or-noth-
ing thinking): It must be
flawless or it’s worthless.
Proficiency Entrenched insecurity: We
are not effective and never
will be.
Validity Emotional reasoning: If we
feel good about it, it must
be true.
8
Excessive risk aversion (cata-
strophizing): We must prevent,
or at least prepare for, every
unpleasant possibility.
“Ticking the box”: If it meets
the specs, it’s good enough.
High self-efficacy (mind read-
ing): We are so effective that
everyone agrees with us.
Rigid rationalism: We came to
this decision rationally, so there
will be no disagreement.
 Action

Belief

Conclusion

Assumption

Interpretation

Selected reality

Observable reality

Figure 4.1  The Ladder of Inference.