Listening – The must competency for Leaders

Be as passionate about listening as you are about talking, because there is a magic to making someone feel heard.

Now how do you extend this magical feeling to your employees?

Dr. John Gottman’s list for Active listening provides a good start point:

• Focus on being interested , not interesting
• Start by asking questions
• Look for commonalities
• Tune in with all your attention
• Communicate you are listening with a nod/sound
• Paraphrase what the speaker says
• Validate the speaker’s emotions
• Let go of your own agenda
• Turn off the TV (what runs on your mind’s TV I guess ;))

Ok, now you may be wondering, that’s all good, but what do I stand to gain?

Sincere listening helps you👇

Build trust –
When people know they can speak freely to you without interruptions, judgment or unwelcome interjections, they’ll be more likely to confide in you.

Build deeper connections –
When you demonstrate your ability to sincerely listen to what others have to say & empathize with people & situations around you, you makes yourself dependable which aids in building deep long lasting connections.

Identify & solve problems more effectively –
Listening to others will help you detect challenges and difficulties others are facing, or problems within projects. The more quickly you’re able to spot these issues, the more efficiently you are able to solve them.

Improves your knowledge base –
It help you better understand new topics and remember what you’ve learned so you can apply it in the future.

“As a leader, speak such that others love to listen to you, as well as listen in such a way that others love to speak to you”