Listen. Just Listen.
Over the past few weeks, I have spent a considerable amount of time attending events with entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs of various shapes and sizes. I mean, their businesses are various shapes and sizes, not the leaders. One thing that I had kind of known before, but which really crystallised this week, is just how many people live in silos of their own making. And how difficult it can be to get people in different silos to truly listen to each other instead of focusing on spitting out their own perspective.
Listening, of course, is a key leadership skill.
Listening to the market is what allows you to predict or adapt to changes that shake industries.
Listening to the real-life, consequential problems of potential customers is what allows you to create products that address those problems.
Listening to customer feedback on the product is what allows you to refine the offering to create a better value proposition.
Listening to staff on the front lines of customer service is what allows you to differentiate your offering from the competitors.
Listening to staff across the organisation is what allows you to create trust and a great work environment.
Listening to difficult feedback from employees is what allows you to foster a strong culture.
Listening to the board is what allows you to strengthen your strategy.
Listening to shareholders is what allows you to keep the business funded.
And so on. And so on.
Take a moment now and think about this:
Who would you say is the most important audience whose thoughts, desires, behaviours, activities and relation to you are most critical for you to thrive as a leader?
That was a slightly trick question. If you’ve been thinking only about the various stakeholders of your business, I’d like you to widen the circle.
Include friends and family. And yourself.
Because you are not going to be able to function optimally, at your highest level as a leader, if you only pay attention to the work part of your life.
Listen to your body. This is often the hardest thing for people in the Western world to do. It is not even gender specific.
Listen to your body.
Does it need more workout, or, in fact, less? Are those niggling pains due to overexercising, not enough activity or the wrong kind of activities?
Are you getting the right nutrition? Are you protein-maxing because it’s fashionable, while your body is missing out on fibre, antioxidants, complex carbohydrates, or something else?
Listen to your nervous system.
Are you getting enough sleep? Are you frazzled? Do you scroll while watching reality TV in the evening to try to switch off - or do you calm the nervous system by spending time with your kids, partner, friends, pets or a good book?
Listen to your loved ones.
Do they feel heard by you? Or do they feel mum/dad/spouse/friend/daughter/son/sister/brother/uncle/aunt just fobs them off? Do you know what they fear, desire, or how they see you?
Everybody wants to be heard. That’s the basis of trust.
And that is the most important thing you do when you listen to others. You are not just putting yourself in the best possible position to win the race, to make the most profit, to achieve the highest promotion, to get the best exit in your business.
Yes, all those are important, and listening helps you with all that.
But what you are doing on every level when you choose to listen is you build trust.
And no matter what some might tell you, trust is key to success in business and happiness in life.
So, who do you need to listen to more? Starting now.
