Today I had lunch with a few of my close colleagues and our former head of school. Though I’ve seen our former head of school with some frequency over the years it’s been a while since we’ve had an extended conversation. Catching up with him today I was reminded what it feels like to be in conversation with someone who is truly wise.
I’m blessed. I’m surrounded by intelligent, thoughtful, creative, imaginative people– at home, at work, in the broader fields of Jewish day school education and the rabbinate. But there’s something about the particular type of wisdom that emanates from my former boss that is noticeably different. Maybe it comes with age, maybe it comes with years of leadership experience in complex organizations, maybe it comes from not really caring too much about the court of public opinion, but this guy always cuts straight to the heart of the matter. He trusts his instincts, speaks his mind, listens attentively, and asks the right questions. It’s energizing to spend time with someone like him and I hope that we can all think of someone important in our lives who speaks, leads, and lives from a place of deep wisdom.