Welcome
Wise Heads is a new initiative. The idea came to me a couple of years ago, though it had been somewhere in my head for many years before.
Wisdom is the great undervalued commodity that makes for a good society. It’s harder to define than intelligence, but more valuable in any organisation or country.
It takes time and experience to develop it, and many never acquire it, though they lead countries, organisations or have high-ranking post at the educational institutions.
What’s the Idea?
How Would It Work?
My life has taken me into writing books about the British prime ministers and other leaders, and into running top schools and a university for over 25 years.
Doing this, I’ve seen countless women and men who are at “peak effectiveness“ being trashed and spat out of their organisations in their 50s and 60s to make way for thrusting know-nothings.
This is MADNESS
I have known large numbers of former chief executives, ambassadors, heads of charities, top officers in the armed services, senior partners of law and accountancy firms, vice chancellors, media chiefs, headteachers, international sports people, all of whom have so much to give, but are frittering away their lives in Bath, or West London or Trafford.
They’ve paid off their mortgages, and seen their children leave home. They’re not looking to make money, though some extra pocket money would always be nice. But primarily, their motivation is they want to be needed, to give of their experience, to feel valued, to feel part of something again.
No one who hasn’t experienced retirement can possibly know quite how lonely and empty it can be. To have been mentally and physically active all your life, with people dependent on your every decision, can be a very hard thing to let go. And not always healthy. Witness the numbers of former leaders who die early.
A SHOCKING waste of human capital
My life has taken me into writing books about the British prime ministers and other leaders, and into running top schools and a university for over 25 years.
Doing this, I’ve seen countless women and men who are at “peak effectiveness“ being trashed and spat out of their organisations in their 50s and 60s to make way for thrusting know-nothings.
Why not link those who
have wisdom to give
to those
who need it?
Hardly rocket science.
Many of the best ideas are simple. Anyone could’ve dreamt it up. I think the fact I did was that my life is straddled two careers: educating the young, and getting to know a wide variety of leaders from different backgrounds in my writing career.
There was a bit of beef about this too.
I have authorised a considerable sum of money to be paid headhunters for help finding the right people to fill posts. And they often end up contacting people I already know, for making suggestions which sounds wrong. Ford is anyway, often have their own profile on mine, And can you give scant attention to what the headhunters are saying. Could van five cast headhunters, or at least find an alternative source of advice which is less expensive?
But there was a problem
The technology was until recently lacking. This is, where my writing onthe impact of artificial intelligence came in handy.
Algorithms could be designed to sift far wider and more inclusive fields than any headhunter, however, good, could possibly manage. The match could be far more precise and exact.
BINGO!
This is a win:win. Those who have wisdom to offer will gain; so will all those who need it. Are there any losers? Well, headhunters/recruitment agencies a bit, but the private rental market and private car hire companies continue even alongside Airbnb and Uber.
They just need to adapt.
There are estimated to be 30,000 recruitment agencies in the UK, employing approximately 200,000 people. The great majority of them would still be in work even when Wise Heads is in full swing.