by Todd Pheifer

Created on: May 30, 2009

Listening is a crucial part of interpersonal communication, regardless of the setting. Whether it is between two friends or between a supervisor and employee, active listening provides the mechanism by which people understand each other. At face value, listening is not a complicated concept but there are still plenty of people that struggle with their listening ability. Some of this stems from lack of ambition, while other people simply do not have the aptitude to listen particularly well. Here are a few thoughts on how good leaders listen.

Hearing and listening

A good leader is someone who actually listens, rather than just hearing. If someone hears someone else, it simply means that the brain registers that sound waves have been projected from another person. The reality is that some people do not really listen when other people are talking. They either tune them out completely, or they key in on one item and then wait for a break so that they can respond. A good leader is someone who is quiet for a suitable amount of time so that the person speaking can convey his or her message without interruption or distraction.

Repeating back

Sometimes an effective leader will show that they are listening by repeating concepts and viewpoints back to the person who is speaking. For example, they might say something like, "So what I hear you saying is....". This may sound a bit manufactured, but it does help in conveying to the person that they are being heard and understood.

Answering issues

Finally, a good leader will often have some sort of response after hearing someone share his or her viewpoint. Listening to a person does not mean that a leader has to grant their every wish. However, it is always nice to answer people's issues with some sort of response. Oftentimes people will respect the leader who gives them a clear answer, even if that answer is not always what they want to hear.

Having good listening skills can be developed to a certain extent but it often takes time and definitive intent. Some people are naturally good listeners just because of their particular nature, but that doesn't mean they are immune from distraction. The effective leader is the person who listens, understands, and responds to their employees in such a way that the employee feels that they were heard. This doesn't mean that the leader will always do what the employee wants, but at least they took the time to listen. Sometimes listening attentively is enough.

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