The Art of Listening: How Great Leaders Adapt Their Listening to Help Others

When we ask people what they believe makes a good leader, one answer consistently rises above the rest: a leader who listens.

Becoming a good listener requires intentional effort. It starts with determining what the speaker needs from the listener:

Are they coming for advice?

Are they coming to brainstorm ideas?

Are they coming to ask for support?

Are they coming to purely vent?

All of which require attention on the part of the listener.

If they seek advice, a good listener will aim to understand the full picture, explore different perspectives and turn every stone before offering advice.

If they intend to brainstorm ideas, a good listener will create space for the speaker to think out loud. Instead of offering immediate solutions, they would ask thought-provoking questions to uncover potential options the speaker may not have considered.

If a speaker is coming to ask for support, a good listener would first find out what has already been done, what worked well and what wasn’t helpful. They will probe the speaker to describe the exact type of support they need before looking into suitable resources.

Venting is typically a call for emotional support; the speaker is looking for an opportunity to offload. Listeners need to pay attention to the speaker's choice of words, the way they speak, their volume, their tone and most importantly, their body language to be able to comfort them.

Great leaders listen without judgment.

They resist the temptation to interject their own experiences into the situation.

They listen for the sake of connecting with the speaker’s emotions, concerns and desires.

They silence their internal thoughts.

They dedicate time and make the speaker the center of the conversation.

It might sound easier said than done, but with practice, leaders can develop their listening muscle. After all, we have two ears and one mouth for a reason.

Feel free to reach out to us for assistance in your leadership development journey including enhancing listening and communication skills.