If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- Have you ever wondered why data-driven strategies often fail in a chaotic market, while "wise" companies seem to navigate uncertainty with ease?
- What if you could master the secret Japanese business practice that transforms ordinary employee knowledge into extraordinary innovation?
- Are you curious about how the world’s most resilient leaders balance the pursuit of profit with a higher moral purpose to stay ahead in the twenty-first century?
Listen to The Wise Company — Free Audiobook
Loading player...
Key Takeaways from The Wise Company
- Discover why over-relying on explicit data leads to failure, and learn to harness tacit, experience-based knowledge to navigate an unpredictable marketplace.
- Learn what the ancient Greek concept of 'phronesis' can teach modern executives about turning raw knowledge into practical, morally responsible business actions.
- Understand the importance of operating your business as a social entity by shifting your core mission from merely beating competitors to making the world a better place.
- Master the art of being fully present in your environment to gain the contextual knowledge necessary to see through your customers' eyes and anticipate future societal needs.
- Find out why prioritizing short-term shareholder value over societal well-being ultimately harms businesses, and see how sustainable companies thrive by serving the common good.
Learning Tools
Reinforce what you learned from The Wise Company
Mind Map
The Wise Company
The Need for Wisdom
Limits of Explicit Knowledge
Embracing Tacit Knowledge
Philosophical Foundations
Aristotle's Phronesis
Phenomenology & Pragmatism
Societal Harmony
Beyond Shareholders
Society Decides Fate
Grasping the Essence
Personal Experience
Rapid Contextualization
The Concept of 'Ba'
Shared Spaces
Knowledge Spiraling
Communication & Politics
Stories & Metaphors
Moral Machiavellianism
Distributed Leadership
Empowering Everyone
Grooming Successors
Actionable Framework
Mission
Vision
Values
Quiz — Test Your Understanding
Question 1 of 8
Why do the authors argue that relying solely on explicit knowledge, like data and statistics, is a problem for modern companies?
The Wise Company — Full Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: Recommendation
Chapter 2: Three core challenges confront businesses in today’s world.
Chapter 3: Examining past philosophers can show us what true knowledge practice entails.
Chapter 4: To be sustainable, wise companies must focus on whatever is best for society.
Chapter 5: Seizing the essence needs personal experience and attention to detail.
Chapter 6: Human interaction is vital for wise leaders to spark new ideas.
Chapter 7: Wise leaders convey their purpose using stories and metaphors.
Chapter 8: Sometimes a truly wise leader must use politics to rally and motivate the company.
Chapter 9: Wise companies embrace distributed leadership.
The Wise Company Summary & Overview
The Wise Company (2019) is a follow-up to the authors’ influential book The Knowledge-Creating Company. It brings the techniques and practices of running a successful business into the twenty-first century, where a fast-changing and chaotic marketplace is the new normal.
Who Should Listen to The Wise Company?
- CEOs and business owners
- Executives looking for reliable management tips
- Anyone interested in the secrets behind Japanese business practices
Books Similar to The Wise Company
Readers who enjoyed this also liked these titles.
The Infinite Game
★ 4.6 / 5 • 756 ratingsHow Great Businesses Achieve Long-Lasting Success
Gemba Kaizen
★ 4.3 / 5 • 115 ratingsA Common Sense Approach to a Continuous Improvement Strategy
New to Big
★ 4.5 / 5 • 76 ratingsHow Companies Can Create Like Entrepreneurs, Invest Like VCs, and Install a Permanent Operating System for Growth
Company of One
★ 4.5 / 5 • 321 ratingsWhy Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business