Executive Skills: Why Listening is Important as a Leader
“What?”, “huh?”, “sorry I didn’t catch that”, “can you please repeat that?” Do any of these phrases sound familiar to you? Whether it is with our direct reports, teammates, significant other, or children, likely we’ve all been caught not actively listening to someone else. As a coach I pride myself on being an active listener, yet I’m just as guilty as the next person of not listening well at times (just ask my kids!).
The Power of Active Listening
Leaders often rise to their positions by making their voices heard as individual contributors. Once they make the turn from individual contributor to leading others, their listening skills become more critical to their continued success because now they must more effectively listen to the voices of others, more so than using their own voice.
Active listening is a process that goes beyond simply hearing. While you hear with your ears, you listen with your entire body, including your ears, eyes, heart, and brain. Active listening is particularly crucial for leaders because it fosters a positive and productive work environment, enhances relationships, and contributes to effective leadership. Being able to listen effectively is a skill that must be learned and practiced. This is particularly true in fields where technical skills or expertise are often prioritized over interpersonal skills (such as communication or listening).
Understanding the Challenges
Active listening is not something that comes naturally to many people, yet most people believe they are great listeners. In one survey, 96 percent of respondents said they were always or sometimes good listeners. In addition to our misperception of the quality of listening skills, there are other barriers to listening well, including:
Prejudging the person you’re listening to based on past experiences with that person (e.g., “she’s such a chatty Cathy”).
Thinking about how you will respond to someone before they’ve completed their thought.
Listening just for the facts and not paying attention to the emotions behind the facts or expression through body language.
Multitasking. Did you know that 2.5% of people are actually able to multitask effectively?
Distractions (i.e., phones, watches, email pings, etc.).
Cultural or generational differences which may include differences in language, communication styles, or cultural norms.
Feeling rushed or pressed for time.
Strategies for Developing Listening Skills
If you’re not convinced that investing in the development of your active listening skills is value added work, here is a financial reason, 88% of employees whose companies financially outperform others in their industry feel heard compared to 62% of employees at financially underperforming companies. In addition, 86% of employees feel that different voices at their organization aren’t heard fairly, with almost half (47%) saying underrepresented voices, such as those of young and essential workers, are less valued by their employers. Given the significant impact of active listening on employee satisfaction and organizational performance, implementing effective active listening strategies can contribute to a more inclusive and successful work environment. Tips for developing your active listening skills include:
Be present. Being present as a leader when communicating is a fundamental aspect of leadership because it contributes to the other person feeling heard and cared for. Be intentional about ensuring you are focused on the current conversation and the purpose of that conversation.
Limit distractions. Put your cell phone away, close your laptop, move away from your computer monitor, turn off the volume on your computer so you don’t hear the incoming email or message alerts, close your email, turn off the alerts on your smartwatch. Consider which of these you are guilty of being distracted by and choose at least one to limit or turn off during your next interactions with others.
Physically and mentally focus on the speaker. Demonstrate your engagement in the conversation by using positive body language, such as sitting or standing in an open and attentive manner. Avoid crossing your arms or displaying closed postures, which can indicate disinterest. Use nonverbal cues like nodding and gestures to show active engagement in the conversation, signaling to the speaker that you are listening and encouraging them to continue sharing their thoughts. Stay mentally present by avoiding distractions and maintaining a genuine interest in understanding not just the words but also the emotions, perspectives, and experiences being conveyed. This deeper level of understanding enhances the quality of your interaction.
Seek first to understand. This common phrase is Habit 5 from Stephen Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (if you’ve never read it or haven’t read it in a while, I highly encourage you to revisit it). When you approach others with a mindset of listening to understand and of curiosity (rather than, perhaps, the assumption that you know what someone is thinking), listening improves tremendously. Moreover, the best ideas often come from members of the team and from dialogue, not from the leader alone. Listen first to understand, not to respond or fix.
Manage your desire to interrupt. As a leader, you’ve accumulated a wealth of experience that makes you the expert in many situations. It’s easy to rush in and share your thoughts, advice, problem-solving, or counsel. By interrupting, you reduce others’ motivation—motivation that is key to you being a successful leader. Counter the urge. Take a deep breath. Bite your tongue. Focus on their words. By interrupting less, you become a guide, not just an expert, and it will empower the person talking to you to be their own expert.
Apply the WAIT (Why Am I Talking) acronym. Apply a filter before opening your mouth by asking yourself these questions: “Does this need to be said? Does this need to be said by me? Does this need to be said by me right now? Does this need to be said by me right now in front of this audience?” If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, listen rather than speak.
Conclusion
According to Gallup, globally only one in four employees strongly agree their opinions count at work. This means that most employees do not feel their suggestions or ideas are listened to about how to make their work better. Active listening is an art and needs to be a priority for leaders in order to successfully lead others, to make sure their voices are heard, and their input is valued. If you’re unsure of the quality of your listening skills or have identified that as a potential development opportunity, we can help. Reach out to any of our qualified executive coaches and we’ll help you sharpen your listening skills.
