The Art of Good Listening in Leadership

A person who knows the value of connecting with people’s hearts is also aware of the importance of the art of good listening. Woodrow Wilson, the American president, believes that the ear of the leader should ring with the voice of the people. Also, John Maxwell believes that a good leader encourages his followers to tell him what he needs to know, not what he wants to hear. In this article you will find the following topics:

• Scrutiny of the art of good listening
• Who should we listen to?
• Ways to acquire the art of good listening

Scrutiny of the art of good listening

Leaders must win the heart of someone before they ask for help, and this can only happen by listening.

Weak leaders are unwilling to listen. Peter Drucker, the father of American management, believes that 60% of all management problems are caused by miscommunication. I would say that most communication problems stem from a lack of good listening skills.

Note that listening serves you two things: connecting with people and learning. That’s why you should listen to these people with open ears:

Who should we listen to?

1-Followers

Good leaders, the ones people want to follow, don’t just think about business and careers when communicating with their followers. They pay attention to the fact that each of them is human. Philip Stanhope Kent Chesterfield believes that many people prefer to listen to their requests rather than fulfill their requests. If by habit you only pay attention to the facts and do not pay attention to the person who is speaking, reconsider your behavior and listen to the facts.

2- Customers

There is a proverb among the Americans Indian communities that says: listen to the whispers so you don’t have to hear the screams. I am in awe of leaders who are so stuck in their own ideas that they don’t listen to their customers’ concerns, complaints, or suggestions. Bill Gates, the CEO of Microsoft, says in the book Business and Speed of Thought: Dissatisfied customers are always a source of trouble and worry, but they are also considered your greatest opportunity. Good leaders always prioritize contact with consumers of their services.

3-Competitors

Sam Markovich declared: “If you don’t agree with me, it means you haven’t listened to me.” Although he undoubtedly said this in a joking manner, the bitter reality is that when a leader takes another organization as a competitor, he pays more attention to raising his own image and has less to do with the activity of the competitor. also, consider

Larry King says: I remind myself every day that what I say doesn’t teach me anything. Therefore, if I am going to learn something, it should be through listening. As a leader, you don’t want to emulate the behavior and actions of others. However, it would help if you did whatever you think is appropriate to improve your work. The best way to improve character is to listen and learn.

4- Mentors

No leader can be so advanced and experienced that he needs a mentor and advisor. I myself have learned a lot from leaders who have far more experience than me – people like Melvin Maxwell (my father), Elmer Townes, Jack Hayford, Fred Smith, and Oswald Saunders, to name a few. If you don’t have a mentor or advisor right now, it’s best to go and find one for yourself, and if you can’t find one in person, start by reading books. This is how I started. It is important to move in the field.

Think about this:

Are you a good listener? John Maxwell says: I was never a good listener when I started as a leader. I was too busy doing my own thing and trying to help out. But after I calmed down a bit and paid more attention to what was going on around me, I saw that I could get much better results.

Ways to acquire the art of good listening

Do the following to improve your listening skills:

Change your plans! Do you spend time listening to your followers, customers, competitors, and mentors? If you don’t have regular meetings with these four groups, you probably aren’t paying enough attention to them. Try to communicate with these people on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

Get into the inner world of others! One way to become a good listener is to find common ground with others. This time you face one of your employees or customers, and ask him a few questions about yourself. Try to get to know him. Find common ground to create a bond between you.

Pay attention to the words of others! In interaction and conversation with others, it is naturally necessary to listen to the real themes of the conversation. But sometimes it is necessary to listen to what the other party wants to say, but does not say.

So, we have seen that leaders who know the importance of the art of good listening and practice it will be successful. Leaders should talk a lot but listen more.