Week 6: Chapter 5 — Wise, Foolish, and Evil: What Kind of Person Are You Dealing With?

1.Cloud describes three types of people: wise people, foolish people, and evil people. In your own words, what are the defining characteristics of each? What does each type do when confronted with their behavior?

2.Cloud's key diagnostic for a wise person is that when confronted with the truth or negative consequences, they adjust their behavior. For a foolish person, they adjust the *explanation* instead — they externalize blame, minimize the problem, or attack the messenger. Can you think of a time when you were the foolish person in this scenario? What helped (or would have helped) you move toward wisdom?

3.Cloud argues that the single most common leadership mistake is treating a foolish person as if they were wise — giving more feedback, more grace, more chances — when what a foolish person actually needs is consequences. Why is this mistake so easy to make? What makes us want to treat the foolish as wise?