John Adams was accurate. Signing the Declaration of Independence was historic, even if we celebrate on the Fourth, not second as he first imagined. To reach that historic pinnacle, it's worth remembering that our founding leaders listened brilliantly. They translated early whimpers of discontent into what became an unstoppable chorus for Democracy. They listened with world-class attention, and a nation emerged. That's the power of world-class listening. It leads to great things, just as the founding fathers discovered.

In my leadership consulting practice here at LodeStar Universal, the art and science of leadership development includes the ability to truly listen. It is as critical as it is illusive. Leaders who don't listen create disasters. In my thought leadership workshops and keynotes, the concept of World-Class Listening emerges as a subject of deep interest.

As compared to excellent listening, poor listening hurts companies. One medical company I recently worked with provides an all-too-common example of a mess. In this case, company leaders implemented a new process without sufficient input from regional offices. Eight avoidable months of hellfire including confusion, anger, frustration, damaged relationships, operational glitches, and back-breaking stress almost led to a revolt before leadership took positive steps toward damage control. 

When we do truly listen, exceptional things happen. Southwest Airlines' retired CEO Herb Kelleher is famous for his ability to listen. When pilots went on strike, Herb was called back to mediate; and the issues at bay were soon resolved. They trusted he was listening to them. You hear this over and over again when difficult situations arise. I experienced a similar situation years ago working with Kaiser Permanente in California. A strike ended quickly a few hours after I'd been working with the CEO and his team on communication. Citing the reason for the quick resolution, Union officials said, "We felt he [the CEO] was listening to us."

Great listeners hear beyond the specific words that tumble out. They appreciate the meaning behind the words. They interpret the emotional context of vocal inflection. Such people put aside egos and aim for understanding.

With the connection created by World-Class Listening, we learn of unmet needs and latent opportunities. We discover solutions to resolve almost any problem. This kind of listening is a hallmark of effective leadership. Yet, few people understand what it means to be such a listener, much less understand how to achieve the skills. Believe me, it is not something you are born with. You must learn these skills.

When thinking about the qualities of World-Class Listening, three questions come to mind:

1. What differentiates a poor, a good, and a world-class listener?

2. Where are you on the road to becoming a better listener, and why does it matter to you? (For a quiz checklist, go to Lodestar Universal.)

3. How can you improve your listening and tap into the rich information lode world-class listening offers?

Good Versus Bad Listening

The skills of good listening are classic - focused attention, eye contact, asking questions, avoiding judgment, not interrupting, and being alert to glazed eyes. Good listeners are like a fresh spring breeze. We relax among them. We open up. Trust develops and rapport. This kind of good listening requires self discipline and attention. Almost anyone can become a decent listener with a little practice. Although it's easy to forget these basics or become a little lazy, miscommunication and errors are costly consequences; so the payoff for getting it right is huge.

Besides forgetfulness, poor listeners may not understand what they need to know. Self reflection, coaching, and education can work wonders. More troubling are people who don't want to listen. They may think they know best, or ego gets in the way. When this happens, everyone under their care suffers.

The World-Class Listener