Mustering the art of listening is a central function of a leader. And that requires the courage to face the reality and hear what other people have to say even if it isn’t good.
Leadership is all about presenting and directing the right way for other people and assisting them to find the right track. It is all about instigating people to work together and collaborate. But how can you do all these things if you don’t know how to listen?
Listening is an overpowering force. It creates a myriad of possibilities in which people around us are interconnected. When an individual knows how to listen, he or she attracts people to his or her zone as though there is some kind of a magnetic field.
When you listen, you give other people the chance to grow and create meaningful ideas. In this way, people will, in turn, believe in you and rely on you. Why? It is simply because through you, they become good. They excel. When you listen to their jokes, they tend to become funnier.
The principle behind this is that people feel good when they are listened to. So in return, if you will tell them what to do or give them directions, they will follow you because they feel that you know what is best for them. That is because you listen.
If you are a leader, listening could be the least bossy thing you can do for your people. It makes you belong to a group and experience what your subordinates go through. It will make you see the reality.
In the end, you will be able to make more sensible decisions, more practical tasks, and take more logical directions. With this, more people will follow you and will listen to you in return.
Keep in mind that the real essence of being a leader is to be able to see the reality. But how can you do this if you don’t know what reality is all about? It is only through listening that you will see reality.
When you listen to your team’s anxieties, when you listen to your member’s explanation, when you listen to everyone who has something to say, you are able to see the reality that these people are facing. And that is the only time that you can clearly see the reality they are talking about.
Shun away from the old definition of leaders — the know-it-all characterization. To be able to provide directions, you must know what your people need. And through listening, you will know these things.