by Krymzen Hall

Created on: December 11, 2011   Last Updated: January 14, 2012

Listening is a people-skill, an element of the often fragile human condition; therefore, at its core, listening is the backbone of stellar leadership because employees need to be heard - and understood - in order to feel validated in a company.  Therefore, having the ability to effectively communicate sets apart the elite manager (a.k.a leader), from the meager one.  Meager managers monitor operations; they make sure businesses can function with their supplies and equipment.  They tell employees what to do.  Leaders, however, teach.  They prune.  They mentor.  They make a difference in the careers of those who follow.  They propel others to the next level. The only thing the elite and the meager have in common is they all make decisions.  But not all listen—and there’s the breakdown.  Anybody can manage.  Few can lead.  

But all are one in the same person.  Leaders are hired as managers.  They decide, through personal fortitude, what they make of the position.  Will they lead, or make decisions without leading at all?  To better understand the concept, think of it this way:  Managers run operations the way ants carry food to a colony.  They map out the goal and supervise the march.  Leaders teach the ants what to do in case they find themselves alone and have to divert.  Managers drive movement.  Leaders drive people. In short, good managers have the ability to start leading; bad managers are just bad managers who will never become leaders and sadly, will not only make bad decisions but enemies as well.   

In keeping with this thought, the measure of a true leader lies in his ability to follow, his ability to attentively listen.  All leaders have had to follow somebody and hopefully, good or bad or both, they've learned something - learned what to do and what not to do.  Good leaders apply these lessons to their lives and their companies, and more than likely, high productivity and even higher morale show this.  So the first reason listening is so important is that people learn from the successes and failures of their past bosses and in turn, this helps sharpen insight.  It makes leaders better. 

Yet this isn't the only reason leaders should listen.  It doesn’t matter how much “better” leaders become if they have no loyalty among employees.  Staff will not “have their backs” if they think leaders don’t trust them or value their opinions.   Ultimately, leaders do have the final say, but they must get the input of others or the culture becomes stifled and autocratic to a flaw.  No matter how much a leader thinks he knows-it-all, there is always somebody who knows something he doesn’t.  For example, a CEO may come to work ready to discuss the latest profits for the third quarter.  He may have a video teleconference planned — until the internet goes down.  Is he going to fix the connection?  No.  He’s going to consult somebody smarter than he is at IT.

In summary, listening to others has many advantages.  It helps to adopt a more self-empowering culture.  It helps leaders make well-informed decisions.  It promotes teamwork.  It breeds trust.  And most importantly, it helps the bottom line which in turn, keeps people employed.       

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