How good leaders listen

The key to leading people is to reach them and, believe it or not, the key to reaching them is to listen. The leader that does not listen is only a leader due to resources and not character, and thus is not truly a leader at all. They might tell you that the way a good leader listens is by rushing so fast to his own agenda that he cannot hear the cries of the rest of the world above the wind, but do not believe them. These leaders inevitably fail; it is only a matter of time.

In a lot of areas requiring leadership, business or otherwise, it comes down to your ability to motivate people to follow a common course of action. To do this you of course have to get them to like you. This cannot be an abstract thing. You cannot come into a room full of swagger and just expect them to admire you from afar. No, you need to interact with them, learn about them, and identify ways to reach them based on that. Whether or not you can reach them most will appreciate the effort. The bottom line is that people like someone who is willing to take the time out to listen to them, and feel a powerfully reactionary urge to disavow any previous respect for those who do not.

I think we have all heard examples of someone loving a musician, entertainer, or politician right up until the moment they met that person and were brushed off. This can be a pretty profound sort of rejection, and most people cannot continue liking someone who so obviously does not care for them, even if the illusion before the crash (that they were as worthwhile or even extensions of their products) was a compelling one.

But beyond simple politics, there is one reason above all why a leader should listen intently to the people he relies upon for support. To defeat them.

Don't take this the wrong way, you are supposed to try and create as much harmony as possible, and when you do defeat them, it will be in argument and ideology only, and should leave them more impressed with your leadership than they were before the raised the issue. But the fact remains you do need to be able to maintain the upper hand, even though it might lead to moments of apparent weakness, moments in which you must listen to whatever issue is brought up with the full might of your attention, and look at things from not your point of view but their own. The old debate axiom is, "He who does not know his opponents arguments does not know his own." Take this to heart.

Basically, in case of an argument, you will only win by knowing their positions. Look at things from their point of view with your intellect until you find the discrepancy or leap of logic then promptly point it out. And if their logic is impeccable, you have an opportunity. A choice. Evolve or attempt to save face?

A real leader knows when to admit he is wrong. That is why most politicians are puppets instead of real leaders, they always choose image over improvement.

Don't be a politician. The only way to reach true accord is to listen to all sides-the man who listens only to his own side reaches no one. Good luck, and thanks for listening.

~ Royce Radcliffe ~

5th December 2008, 1630

A moment to remember......