Wouldn’t you love for someone to listen to you?
Why not be that person for others?
5 reasons leaders have closed ears:
- No aspiration to listen. Have you ever heard a leader exclaim, “My aspiration is to be a great listener.”
- Bias toward action. You might try listening AND doing at the same time.
- Time pressure. Perceived lack of time dehumanizes interactions.
- Fearful heart. Caring for people and getting results seem to collide. The combination of #3 and #4 is deadly to listening.
- Lack of skill and discipline. The challenge of listening is first skill, then the discipline to actually do it.
3 ways to listen like a leader:
#1. Listen to learn.
Set aside what you know in order to grasp what others know.
#2. Listen to care.
- What gestures, posture, and office arrangement communicate caring?
- How might you express dedication to serve the best interest of others?
Listening to care often requires talking.
#3. Listen to do.
Talking hasn’t worked when negative patterns persist.
Listening in time:
#1. Listen to the past.
Unexamined experience guarantees the past will return unchanged.
- What have you learned? Dig deeper than first response.
- What should you stop? Think about habits and behaviors that didn’t work as hoped.
- What should you keep doing?
- How did you create effective processes and build strong relationships?
Never let the past justify an unsatisfying present.
#2. Listen to the present.
- What’s happening?
- Where are the energy hotspots? Drains?
- Who shines?
- Who sits on the fringes?
- What are your highest points of confidence? Fear?
#3. Listen to the future.
- Imagine a joyful future. Who do you need to become to get there?
- If you succeed what will be different?
- What do you really want? Focus on habits, patterns, and relationships.
Listening is a gift.
What gets in the way of good listening?
How might you listen like a leader today?