"Earnestness is enthusiasm tempered by reason."
Blaise Pascal
17th century French mathematician/philosopher
Pretty astute observation, particularly coming from one who is both a mathematician and a philosopher (talk about the potential for internal conflict.)
The goal is well reasoned enthusiasm.
Discussions of what makes a great business leader usually focus on terms such as "education", "experience", "leadership", "vision", etc. Nothing much said about the ability to reason.
ReplyDeleteIs that true and if so, is it a mistake not to consider one's ability to reason when thinking about their ability to lead?
Maybe the ability to reason is assumed as being part of "leadership", which itself is a multifaceted quality.
ReplyDeleteBut I think your question has more to do with the need to focus on reasoning rather than just assume it a part of something else, and if so, I agree with you.
Thinking about it, so many other qualities, for example, being a "visionary", are dependent on reasoning as to make that critical in all assessments of what makes a great business leader.