Why Active Listening is Key to Leadership Success
The difference between a good leader and a great leader is demonstrated by the way a great leader is able to embody proficiency and competency through everyday interactions, even ones that seem unimportant or miniscule. One example of this is through being an excellent listener, no matter who is speaking. Great leaders are willing to hear what everyone from team members and employees to customers are saying so they can learn from it. That knowledge is what helps them create strong teams that deliver results and build quality products that customers want to buy.
Listening is not the same as hearing. Although it’s possible to feign attentiveness and act like you are listening, in order to lead well, you need to listen and to understand what is being said. The term that is often used for this is Active listening. Active listening is the ability to personify exceptional listening skills. In this world of so much noise, it can be hard to hear but it is more important than ever to listen carefully to help us maintain strong relationships inside and outside of work.
The well-known book 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni talks about how leaders don’t need to take everyone’s advice to create a healthy team, but they do need to ensure that everyone feels heard.
How do you accomplish that as a leader?
The easiest way to help others feel heard in your interactions is to actually hear them. When you sincerely listen, your team will know. It becomes obvious as you use feedback to improve yourself, your team’s dynamic and your team's ability to drive business results.
Since listening is such a crucial skill as a leader, here are some steps to take to Actively Listen:
Stay present
Repeat for understanding
Take into account the other point of view before responding
Pay attention to nonverbal cues
Show appreciation
Stay Present
A sure way to ensure people don’t feel heard is to be focused on other things during a conversation. Avoid this by leaving your phone outside the meeting room or turning off notifications during meetings and staying present with what is going on. Facing people and looking at them is a good way to let people know you are paying attention to them and are hearing them. Also, if you are about to engage in an important conversation and you are not in a mindset where you can hear because you have something else critical going on, reschedule the meeting. Having the meeting when you can be receptive to feedback will be a more effective use of time for everyone. Do what you need to do to be attentive in the moment so you can have the best interaction possible.
Repeat for Understanding
A great way to ensure you have understood what is being said is to repeat what you heard. It’s best to repeat using the same words the other person used because paraphrasing can lead to a person not feeling heard. Once you fully understand and establish that you have comprehended their words, then you can summarize as needed, but refrain from that until you verify that the words have gotten through to you.
Take into Account the other point of view before Responding
A clear way to know you are not being heard is if someone ignores what you say and simply waits for you to finish speaking so they can talk more. In a true conversation, people are responding to each other's words and reflecting back on what is being said. A situation where someone doesn’t respond to what you are saying makes it seem like it doesn’t matter what you say. If you are having a conversation with someone, make sure you listen to and respond to their words. You will get your turn to talk so make sure you focus on the other person when they are talking. It’s ok if there are pauses, that’s better than avoiding listening by trying to decide your next words or solely focusing on yourself.
Pay Attention to Nonverbal cues
People communicate, not only with words, but also with body language. Paying attention to what is going on with someone’s body in a conversation, in addition to their words, will help you see the bigger picture.
For example, someone might come into your 1 on 1 meeting saying that everything is fine but is slumped in their chair, frowning and looking like they haven’t slept in days. If you know the person to behave differently on most days, you can pay attention to that and decide if that is something worth exploring in your 1 on 1 meeting.
Show Appreciation
People have different levels of comfort sharing their ideas and engaging in honest conversation. Thanking people for sharing and being willing to be vulnerable is a sure way to help them want to share again. Even if it didn’t take a lot of courage for someone to have the conversation with you, being thanked for sharing always encourages more open dialogue.
Although sometimes overlooked, listening carefully is a key to success. Not only does it give you the ability to know what is going on with clients, customers and employees, it also encourages others to continue sharing with you. Strong relationships are key to being successful in business and building strong relationships requires great listening skills.