Listening is the most powerful skill a leader can master. Good listening skills in this digital era due to information overload and shortened attention span is fast becoming an endangered species.

Science has demonstrated thathearing impacts how we walk and that even our balance is influenced by how well we hear. So what we hear is crucial to how we live. The act of listening marks the first step in communication. In Hebrew thought, the seat of wisdom or of intelligence is located not in the brain but in the ears.

The Ear is divided into Three Parts Identical with The 3 Levels of Listening:

Level 1. The External ear: Listening with the head - Informative Listening. The listener is concerned with processing of information. They are mentally noting the main points the speaker is making but thinking about their own ideas. They are trying to conceptualize the problem. They focus on their interpretations and are waiting to interject with their solution.

Level 2. The Middle ear: Listening with the head and body - Appreciative Listening. It involves paying and making nonverbal cues, appropriate to what is being said. It’s listening both mentally and physically. The listener shows appreciation in their body language relaying the message that they are interested in what the speaker has to say. It’s reflecting back the main points and summarizing what has been said. They are gathering information to help them form opinions and make decisions. They listen to understand.

“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said.” ~Peter Drucker

Level 3.The Inner ear: Listening with the heart, head and body - Intuitive Listening.It calls for wisdom. This is crucial to gaining a complete understanding of situations. Without this full understanding, one can easily waste everyone’s time by solving the wrong problem or merely addressing a symptom, not the root cause. The skill of intuitive listening is the heartbeat of all communication. Great leaders function at this level. They listen to beyond what is being said, the hidden meaning. They read between the lines. They are genuinely attentive to the meaning and significance of what the speaker is saying. They show empathy. This requires emotional intelligence. The listener is able pick up on the unspoken clues that hint at a larger story behind the words. Often times after stating your response the speaker may exclaim, “How could you know that?” By practicing the skill of intuitive listening, leaders can make better decisions, build stronger relationships and resolve problems more quickly. 

Paul Bennett, the Chief Creative Officer at IDEO said the one piece of advice he wished he had known in his early twenties, was to focus on listening. Effective leaders learn that it is important to put aside distractions, to stop multi-tasking, and be truly “present” with people when speaking with them.

Employees want to be heard and they want to be respected. Listening transmits that kind of respect and builds trust. This leads to more motivated and committed team members. Communication is indeed a two way street and involves feedback. It important to ask the right questions. “How can I help you?”, “Was the training effective?” Encourage conversation that provides more in-depth information. If you genuinely want to listen, people will start talking. Listening must also be backed up by the appropriate action. Listening is a great time and money saver. It can solve a host of problems, brings creativity and give insights and not to mention show you care.

Intuitive Listening and Self - Homing pigeons long have been known to fly hundreds of miles a day and arrive at their destination with amazing accuracy. In order to navigate, they use infra-sound, low-level background noise in the atmosphere to fly by “images” they hear, practically creating acoustic maps of the environment. Yeteven the best homing pigeons at times have become disoriented, never returning to their starting point. The worst incident happened in England, when twenty thousand birds (valued at more than six hundred thousand dollars) never came back to their lofts.

That’s why it is important to never leave home without your moral compass. When faced with ethical dilemma, it serves as a navigator to steer you in the right direction. The temptations to take shortcuts can be overwhelming. Even the smartest of leaders have become disoriented and lost their way, never being able to get back on track. Listening includes listening to that inner small voice of your conscience. If something is wrong, just don’t try to justify it. Even if you get away with it for a time, eventually the piper must be paid.

In 2012, Businessman Kenneth Hunt, of Hunt Kidd Solicitors and his business partner Barbara Grayton were both sentenced to face prison terms. Hunt had fiddled £1million of company accounts to keep it afloat when the recession hit. When Grayton became aware of the fraud, she went along with it. Hunt and Grayton both pleaded guilty to fraud. Defending Hunt, Attorney Neil Hawes stated: “Both are intelligent individuals, but he made a stupid reckless decision that he will regret for the rest of his life. There was an intention to pay it back."

To achieve balance it is also recommended that you ingest The 3 Pills every Leader should take:Stillness, Silence and Solitude. Your ability to absorb crucial information decreases due to increased pressure, noise and demands. Distancing oneself from the distractions and taking the time to pause and reflect is essential to clear the mind of clutter.

It is only through silence and stillness that we can come to our thoughts in any meaningful way and from that spring take action we think best. Sadly we have banished solitude. There is no time to think, alone, intimately with who we are at our core." ~Brian Tolle Partner –The re-wired group

The brain acts as a computer, analyzing constant signals being sent its way. Based upon the data received from the inner ear, the brain then sends messages to the muscles of the body to maintain balance. Any disturbance in inner ear results in balance difficulties.

Organizations can succeed or fail according to the quality of their interactions. Poor communication comes with a high price tag. It accounts for businesses losing millions of dollars each year. That’s why it’s important for leaders to master the skill of “Lead with Listening.”

I would like to challenge you for the next  week to make  a concerted effort to listen more than you speak, practise intuitive listening and just see the benefits.

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