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Listen Carefully

by | Jan 10, 2022 | Business Leadership, Life of Climb

Company Culture

Generous Listening

“Most of the successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking.”—Bernard Baruch

Financier, statesman, and presidential advisor Bernard Baruch (1870-1965) knew a lot of successful people. The fact that he identified listening as a common trait in his circle of influencers speaks volumes. He knew that a good listener does more than accommodate the speaker. They pay close attention to understand what they’re hearing and grow wiser from the information they absorb.

ears wide open

Why don’t we listen better

1. We cannot hear what they are saying because we’re trying to decide if we agree.

2.We are thinking about the next thing we want to say.

3. We let the other person “have their say” but our minds are made up.

4. We think we know what they are going to say.

5. Distracted. Need I say more?

Ear-Opener

They are your blind spots because you cannot see them.

Benefits

Too often, leaders get wrapped up in what they want to get across to their people and fail to open the channel for effective listening. But they reap many benefits if they minimize the human tendency to listen on autopilot. 

a symphony

As David Friedman of Culture Wise notes, generous listening gives leaders a much broader view of situations and people, which in turn provides them with greater choices for how to approach almost everything. It’s like listening to a symphony and not one single instrument. 

 

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1957

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23,000

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+25

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Testimonial

Michael B. Russell joined Vistage in 2009 on a friend’s recommendation. It came during a time in Michael’s career when he needed a better sounding board to deal with internal company issues. “I felt that I was on an island trying to make decisions by myself,” he says. 

Michael B. Russell, CEO

H.J. Russell & Co.

 

 

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tim.gallagher@vistagechair.com

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