Contrary to what many might think (and many practice), the most important job of a leader
is not to speak, preach, direct or advise...
THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB OF A LEADER IS TO LISTEN.
In a recent interview I did with management guru, Tom Peters, he revealed the four most important
words in business leadership are, "What do you think?"
Tom said listening should be a leader's full-time profession. They should be the professional gatherer
of input, ideas, feedback, opinion, perspective and personal experience in order to make informed,
well-thought-through leadership decisions.
Richard Branson once said to me, "If you are a good leader, you are a good listener."
This is true for everyone in every aspect of life, but it's one of the most neglected skills I observe
every day. I am always fascinated by how poorly people listen. There are many ways people
invalidate and hurt their relations with others by their lack of listening skill.
Here are a few...
The Offenders. These people are the worst. They make it clear you are so unimportant or they are
so bored by your conversation that they look at something else while you talk (Blackberry, e-mail,
brochure, someone else over your shoulder, anywhere else but directly in your eyes.
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