Effective listening is
essential to good leadership. Many MMMs have focused on the importance of
attentive, interactive listening when others are speaking. But that’s not the
only kind of listening that matters. It’s also critical to listen with your
eyes.
You can learn a lot by observing
how people interact with one another. Watch their body language and their attitudes.
Look for team members who are exerting positive or negative influence at work.
Pay attention to changes in someone’s mood or behavior. Watch closely how your
coworkers respond to one another in meetings.
This doesn’t come naturally to
me. I’ve been caught off guard more than once by something that was happening
right in front of me, something I should have noticed. But I’m working on being
more aware. I’ve come to realize how important this kind of listening is to my
leadership.
You can learn a lot when you
open your eyes and close your mouth. Great leaders understand the power of
listening with their eyes.
