Wisdom and Discernment By Chris Jorgenson

How To Unlock Wisdom and Discernment in Leadership

Seeking wisdom and discernment were activities shared by the great men of God. The story of Nehemiah is anchored in Nehemiah 1:4-11, during his time of fasting, mourning, and prayer. Nehemiah’s prayer sets the stage for how Nehemiah will continually seek wisdom and discernment throughout the entire endeavor to lead the people to rebuild the wall.

Nehemiah relied not solely on this initial prayer but continually sought wisdom and discerned God’s. When Nehemiah asked King Artaxerxes for permission to go in Nehemiah 2:1-6, Nehemiah continued relying on God for wisdom and discernment in real-time.

“The king said to me, ‘What is it you want?’ Then I prayed to the God of heaven.” (Nehemiah 2:4)

After this real-time plea for wisdom, the king granted Nehemiah permission to go to Jerusalem. This is the first of many times the book of Nehemiah captures moments where he pauses to seek God’s wisdom and discern in the moment.

Nehemiah created a habit of seeking wisdom and discernment in his leadership. He intentionally prayed to God for guidance at the outset and continually sought wisdom and discernment throughout his work.

His example shows the importance of seeking wisdom and discernment before we begin something as leaders and as we lead daily. He shows that we must take time to do this authentically. Nehemiah’s primary source of wisdom came from God and was deeply rooted in his faith. His example shows that all leaders need a Godly source of wisdom.

The Power of Trusted Counselors

Perhaps one of the best ways to develop wisdom and the habit of real-time discernment is to have a group of mentors around us who provide objective perspectives. These trusted counselors can be incredibly valuable in helping us grow in wisdom and develop an authentic discernment process. 

One of my mentors once told me that being smart is having the intellectual ability to work and lead, but being wise is applying past experiences and principles to current situations to lead well. He was convinced that he would rather surround himself with wise people than smart people.

When leaders surround themselves with mentors and trusted counselors, they leverage other people’s experiences, wisdom, and intellect. Through these relationships with mentors, leaders learn, grow, enhance their perspectives, develop wisdom, and refine their discernment process. Do you have trusted counselors who routinely help you access wisdom?

Authentic Discernment

Authenticity is imperative when leaders desire to discern the best path forward. Authentic discernment means we do not go into a situation assuming we have all the answers, and we do not decide without seeking the perspective of others and without the willingness to allow the wisdom of others to influence us. It means that when we seek input, we are willing to change or adapt where we thought we were heading.

Too many examples exist of leaders ‘going through the motions’ of seeking input on a decision they have already made. I have learned that the common denominator for a successful decision-making process is the authenticity with which leaders seek wisdom from others and invite them into the discernment process. This authenticity creates participation, engagement, and more effective results in the long run.

Unleash Collective Wisdom

In today’s fast-paced and dynamic environment, having all the answers for every decision is a tremendous burden. Leveraging the collective wisdom of everyone around you can help overcome this decision-making burden.

The more perspectives and input you receive, the better. Two perspectives are better than one, and three perspectives are better than two (and so on). Gaining multiple perspectives will only make your final decision more effective and connected to the reality your organization is enduring. It will also help free you from needing to provide constant oversight after the decision is made.

Be Encouraged

We must follow Nehemiah’s example of cultivating wisdom and the habit of real-time discernment in all we do as leaders. We will encounter fast-paced, ever-changing environments that create situations where we must make decisions very quickly. Nehemiah shows that developing the attribute of wisdom and the habit of real-time discernment can help leaders rise to the challenging situations we will inevitably find ourselves in.

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Chris Jorgensen helps Christian organizations maximize mission impact by creating and sustaining strategic focus through effectiveness assessments, strategic planning, and organization development services. He is the author of The Nehemiah Blueprint, which explores essential leadership attributes to build lasting impact. To learn more, please visit www.convergentstrategy.com or email Chris at chris@convergentstrategy.com.

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