Listen, Learn & Lead Successfully (in that order)
I remember a video featuring John Maxwell on listening, learning, and leading. He boiled it down to a straightforward process. Listen – Learn – Lead, and it turns out that the order is critical for success.
That stuck with me because there have been moments when I did the opposite. I would try to lead, and when everything went wrong, I would suddenly become interested in listening and learning to fix what I had done wrong.
Leadership sometimes requires quick action, and we need to make decisions quickly. It requires discipline to slow down, seek help first, and then prepare to lead for success! Seldom do we slow down to seek advice before we act.
Strong leaders
Strong leaders learn to move slowly through the crowd and get to know the people. They also get to know their environment, surroundings, and circumstances before they take action. They lead with a heart toward consensus, support, and teamwork. They cast the vision and then listen for feedback while working towards the goal.
Wise leaders
Leaders understand that wisdom comes to them in the form of the people standing beside them! People can gain knowledge by seeking counsel from those that have gone before them. Wise leaders listen and learn as they move forward. Innovative leaders learn from feedback and failure. They evaluate experiences and think about what to do next based on what they know.
“Leaders are readers.”
Leaders are readers is another thing I remember hearing John Maxwell share. He would read, clip and file ideas by category. If he found something remarkable about the art of listening, he would place it in his listening file for future reference. Leadership is a lifelong journey filled with learning, personal growth, and change. Files are for future reference and are valuable resources to keep on hand.
Reading is a vital part of learning and will keep you focused and sharp. Most successful people will tell you that they are avid readers.
We have ears to listen, a mind to learn, and a heart to lead with wisdom and determination. At times we will plow ahead, make mistakes and then have to learn from those mistakes. However, we are wise to intentionally slow down, seek advice, and then act based on the wisdom and counsel of someone who has gone before us.
Relax and sleep on it
Having made my share of mistakes, I have learned to sleep on big decisions. There is something about a good night’s sleep that offers a perspective for the following day.
I have also learned to go to a quiet place and intentionally relax—the ability to think with good old-fashioned peace & quiet. Reflection takes time and focuses, so create an environment to make that happen.
Seek to hear and understand the person before responding. Now when I listen to someone, I try to listen without interrupting that person. I often think about my response while someone is speaking instead of really hearing them. There is value in hearing the other person’s perspective and then thinking about it.
When it is finally time to lead, take massive action! Listening and learning with no action is a waste of time. An actual decision needs to include activities that will produce the desired results.
I genuinely believe that if we listen, learn and then lead today, we will be in a much better place tomorrow. The main thing is the main thing, and to focus on the main thing, you need to listen, learn and lead to accomplish the main thing.
- Listen
- Learn
- Lead
Repeat…
- Listen
- Learn
- Lead
To Your Success!
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