A500.1.5.RB_BorutyAlan

Intellectual Perseverance

I had not heard the term Intellectual Perseverance before I was preparing myself for this assignment. My initial reaction was to panic which I did momentarily. I soon discovered that Intellectual Perseverance is a new name for a concept or leadership trait that I have been exposed to a few times throughout my career using different names. Intellectual Perseverance is the more appropriate name.  The Foundation for Critical Thinking defines Intellectual Perseverance as "having a consciousness of the need to use intellectual insights and truths in spite of difficulties, obstacles, and frustrations; firm adherence to rational principles despite the irrational opposition of others; a sense of the need to struggle with confusion and unsettled questions over an extended period of time to achieve deeper understanding or insight." (Valuable Intellectual Virtues, 2014) While accurate, it is a bit verbose and can be confusing. I interpret the definition to mean the leader must always be aware that intellectual problems are often complex and rarely have a quick or easy solution. Therefor, the leader must be committed to resolving the issue through intellectual means using rational principles no matter how long it takes and must never give in to pressure to do it any other way. 

I can easily see the need for me to practice intellectual perseverance as a student pursuing a Master of Leadership Degree. In fact I have already needed intellectual perseverance when faced with starting this class almost a week behind the rest of my classmates. The easy solution would have been to drop the class and enroll in the next available class. Although remaining in the class promised difficulty, a sacrifice of time to get the work done and less overall time to gain an understanding of the material, I decided to persevere the obstacles and stick with the class. The rewards outweigh any difficulty or inconvenience by far. Of course I am in the class but more importantly after more than fifteen years I am back in school actively working on an educational goal that, until recently, was just a dream.

As I continue my studies, I fully expect to face challenges and problems that I have not encountered and will not fully understand. Solving them will be my responsibility. I will use the resources available to me to conquer those challenges while Intellectual Perseverance will be my guide and set my standard along the way.

In my definition of Intellectual Perseverance I used the words "the leader must". I strongly believe Intellectual Perseverance is a trait  a good leader must possess, adhere to, and teach. In my experience with the Air Force, the pressure to make problems disappear is intense. Notice that I did not use the word solve. When a leader succumbs to the pressure he solves nothing because he never got to understand the problem. The is a true reason that any problem occurs. It is called the root cause. In many problems the root cause hides well under the surface and requires many rounds of questioning by experts to expose it. Only then can an effective solution can be pursued. Finding the right, intelligent decision takes time as well. The leader that succumbed to pressure will get the opportunity to address the problem again when it comes back. It is difficult at best to stand your ground under pressure, but there are ways to do it and a good leader will find it. 

The saying leaders operate in a fish bowl means their every action is being watched. Their superiors look for effectiveness and efficiency while subordinates look for any instance where words and actions do not match. Leaders lead by example. If that example shows that Intellectual Perseverance is not important enough to consistently apply, no one will see it as important. The good news is that the opposite is also true. Leaders have many responsibilities some say too many. They have to ensure the people they lead understand what Intellectual Perseverance is, why it is important and how to incorporate it into the way they operate. It is not rocket science, but it does take commitment and determination to execute. The leader must be the first  and strongest example and advocate. 

Intellectual Perseverance is a must if one truly wishes to fully understand complex issues, problems and situations. It has many applications and although it is difficult to withstand pressures and irrational objections, I will strive to use it in my life.

 

References:

(Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2014)Valuable Intellectual Virtues (September 2014). Foundation For Critical Thinking, Online at website: www.criticalthinking.org)