Winning Wednesday: Leadership Series

PART FOUR

Leaders are Listeners!

I love watching people!  Prior to COVID, I would occasionally accompany my wife to the mall just to watch people.  Today, going to restaurants is absolutely fascinating to me.  Watching people communicate to others at the table is enlightening.  When families are together, how many times do you see each person on their cell phone or tablet?  Rarely do I observe true conversation even among those who appear to be on dates.  I admit, I’m from a different generation that didn’t grow up communicating via text message with the person seated across the table from me.  We actually had to talk to each other!  But today, active listening appears to be a lost art.  

People want their voice to be heard.  Sometimes they shout, sometimes they post, other times they comment, sometimes they demand, and sometimes they act in another manner to be heard.  Even those who tend to have a quiet persona still want to be heard. 

However, there is a huge difference between “hearing” and “listening.”  Hearing is passive while listening is active. It’s the difference between sitting at the dinner table and actually eating at the dinner table.  Big difference!

As a leader, are you an “active” listener?  Are you truly in the conversation, or are you too busy constructing your response?  Do you create opportunities for others’ voices to be heard?  Are you more concerned with sticking to your schedule than listening to the person on the other side of the table? 

Be a leader who is a listener!  The greatest gifts we can give others are the gifts of our time and attention.  Today, demonstrate how important others are and how much you value them by actively listening!  It may not come naturally, but it sure is worth the effort!