Listening Leaders Archived Edition

February 15, 2006

LISTENING LEADERS EXERCISE WITH EXTREMISTS

Listening Leaders® find value in carefully examining the excessive thoughts of extremists.

As outstanding leaders know, in a sense everyone lives in the world of the bell-shaped curve. Throughout history, world events seem to follow a relative path of the normal distribution, wherein opinions and perspectives represent a mean value of 68.26% within one standard deviation, 95.44% within two standard deviations, 99.73% within three standard deviations, and 99.99% within four standard deviations.

If we accept the hypothesis that every individual’s view is normally distributed, then every extreme view, position, and message will challenge the listening of Listening Leaders® who operate within the realm of ideas that reside in the territory of the mean, median, and mode.

Of course one person’s extreme may be another person’s norm, and vice-versa. Listening Leaders® recognize and appreciate that extremism and fanaticism is planted in numerous fields, is fed from a variety of streams, and grows through many voices. The initial challenge for every Listening Leader® rests in listening to fanatics who are deemed to be totally objectionable.

As Robert F. Kennedy captured the reality in his 1964 book, The Pursuit of Justice: Extremism, Left and Right “What is objectionable, what is dangerous about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents.” Eric Hoffer reinforced the danger when he argued, “When government policies or historical accidents make the attainment of individual self-respect difficult, the nationalist spirit of the people becomes more ardent and extreme.”

Thus in a period of active worldwide extremism the leader’s task of listening is heightened. For even though Abraham Flexner wisely advised more than 75 years ago, “We must not overlook the role that extremists play, for they are the gadflies that keep society from being too complacent” the tendency is to avoid, ignore, and/or dismiss the ranting of those we consider to be extremists and fanatics.

Today’s challenge is greater than ever due to the 21st century cultural divisions and the rapidity and breadth of message transmission. Even though they may only represent a small minority, fanatics and extremists understand that they can fan the flames of fear and confusion more rapidly and more broadly than any time in human history. In addition, they have mastered the use of the mass media to invoke mass emotion. As a consequence, Listening Leaders® must master four skills to listen through the impact of potential hysteria.

First, leaders must avoid the temptation of pre-judging fanatics as “crazy” simply because they represent a perspective that is dramatically foreign and seemingly crazy to any rational measurement, particularly their own rational measurement.

Second, although it is far easier to listen to voices and views that represent “our norm” because they speak within the first standard deviation, it becomes equally imperative to listen fully to the extreme views that represent the second, third, and fourth standard deviations. The greater the spread, the greater the challenge.

The third challenge becomes even greater as all Listening Leaders® must interpret the views of the fanatical extremists from the perspective of the fanatical extremists. The challenge is daunting as the task requires that one listens and understands from a perspective that is foreign. For if other’s perspectives are easily understood, they never seem so extreme. In short, although it is difficult to understand that which we do not understand, the task must be embraced.

Finally, although leaders must “withhold judgment until their comprehension is complete”, the ultimate listening task is to evaluate in a rational fashion the true intent and implication of every fanatical extremist, and then respond in a meaningful and appropriate manner. In as much as every response will elicit another response, the difficult test always lies in choosing the most effective response. Of course, there is never a simple and easy answer.

Yet one thing is clear, effective Listening Leaders® must complete the full cycle of SIER when dealing with fanatics and extremists. For as Winston Churchill so aptly explained, “A fanatic is a man who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.”

LISTENING LEADER KNOWLEDGE NUGGET: Listening Leaders® face and embrace the challenge of listening to the messages of extremists.

Cautious and thoughtful listeners operate with the insight that fanatical extremists can goad thoughtless leaders into a destructive mentality of black and white. A negative mentality of, “I’m right and you’re wrong.” This in turn can lead to paranoid, xenophobic, and polarized listening and responding.

Following the 9-11 devastating attack on the New York World Trade Center, and the Pentagon, the pacifist Bradley Lehman suggested that “extremists have only one tool, a hammer, so all problems have only one solution: hit it.” In turn, unthinking leaders “who listen to extremists can be very easily swept along with the hitting. That is why extremism is so dangerous to civilization everywhere. It is extremely contagious and extremely difficult to stop once it starts.”

Obviously extremists and fanatics in all camps have more than hammers. They have inflammatory words and ideas. Historically fanatics and extremists have used words to incite mayhem, riot, and murder, as evidenced by dictators like Benito Mussolini, Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Marshall Joseph Tito, Fidel Castro, Slobodan Milosevic, General Augusto Pinochet, Idi Amin, Ho Chi Minh, Saddam Hussein, Muammar Qaddafi, Juan Peron, Ayatollah Khomeini, Ferdinand Marcos, General Suharto, Pol Pot, and Osama bin Laden, to name a few.

Because, as Oscar Wilde observed, “The worst vice of a fanatic is his sincerity,” the effective leader is compelled to listen to every nuance of every extreme speaker. In addition, it is productive to remember that the majority is often silent. If Voltaire was correct in his assumption that “fanaticism is to superstition what delirium is to fever, or rage to anger,” it behooves every leader to fine-tune their listening ears to the expressed voices of active fanatics and the silence of the silent majority. The tasks and process differ but the end-result will provide immeasurable pay-offs.

Thus, Listening Leaders® constantly seek for clarity. They listen to a breadth of voices that transverse the standard deviations of the “bell shape curve.” For as the American writer and critic, Edmund Wilson suggested, “In times of disorder and stress, the fanatics play a prominent role; in times of peace, the critics. Both are shot after the revolution.”

In the meantime, everyone needs to be listened to.

LISTENING LEADER TIP OF THE WEEK: Listen to the vocal extremes and the silent majority.

GOLDEN CIRCLE LISTENING LEADERS QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

Every extreme attitude is a flight from the self ~ Eric Hoffer
Fanaticism consists of redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim ~ Santayana
Fanaticism in religion is the alliance of the passions she condemns with the dogmas she professes ~ Lord Acton
The enemy of civilization is extremism ~ Bradley Lehman
There is no place in a fanatic's head where reason can enter ~ Napoleon Bonaparte
Fascists can’t argue, so they kill ~ Victor Marguerite
Fanaticism is just one step away from barbarism ~ Denis Diderot
Zeal without knowledge is fire without light ~ Thomas Fuller
Through zeal, knowledge is gotten, through lack of zeal, knowledge is lost; let a man who knows this double path of gain and loss thus place himself that knowledge may grow ~ Buddha

A LISTENING LEADER GIGGLE:

Extremism can be found in many messages. Stacy Leigh told us about a young boy who enjoyed attending his first big church wedding. With rapt attention, he carefully observed everything that happened and listened to everything that was said.

The next day he told a young friend about all of the special activities of the wedding, and his young friend asked, “How many women can a man marry?”

Immediately, and confidently, the young boy responded, “Sixteen.”

Amazed that he knew the answer so quickly, his friend asked, “How do you know that?”

“That’s easy,” the young lad said. All you have to do is add it up. Like the Minister said,

“4 better, 4 worse, 4 richer, 4 poorer.”

It sounds extreme, but we agree that sounds like 16.

A LISTENING LEADERS KUDOS:

Kudos to Golden Circle Listening Leader, Karen Nelson for forwarding our Listening Leaders Newsletter to others in need. Karen is the Staff Operations Manager-Network Services at Sprint and shared our “Listening Leaders Deal with Devastating Events” with Lou, a colleague whose wife was recently diagnosed with a challenging illness. Karen is a marvelous Listening Leader® and a strong practioneer of our “Ten Golden Rules to Listen, Lead, & Succeed.” In addition to practicing and sharing the Listening Leader material, Karen’s team in engineering actually formed a book club to study and advance the100 Action Steps in the Listening Leaders® book. Congratulations and thanks for your leadership Karen.

In addition, Kudos and best wishes to Lou Carrion, Vice President-National Field Sales at Sprint and his wife Nicza. After reading our January 25th Listening Leaders Newsletter, Lou sent the following note to Karen, and Karen with Lou’s permission agreed to let us share his powerful and heart-felt response with our thousands of Newsletter subscribers.

“Karen, what a powerful message. Since we learned of Nicza’s illness, I have been doing a significant amount of listening. I have been taking extra time to listen to her and her fears and dreams in a way that perhaps I have not done so in the 43 years that we have been together. When I’m with our children especially our one-year-old granddaughter, I have been listening closely to laughter, love and hope that only a happy and loving family can produce. After sharing the news with friends and other family, I have been listening to words of encouragement, love and faith from all corners of this country. And as I close my eyes to pray every chance I get, I have been listening to that voice of our loving God that assures me that we will not be left alone to deal with this huge challenge in our life. For all of that I am so grateful and feel blessed. Thanks for sharing your powerful message with me.”

Thank you Lou and please know that you and Nicza and your family are now in the thoughts and prayers of additional Listening Leaders® around the world.

WE ARE LISTENING and invite your action:

LISTENING LEADERS WORKSHOP COMING TO CENTRAL FLORIDA - MARCH 8, 2006. For brochure, please send an email to RKB@ListeningLeaders.com

Together, we can change the listening attitudes, skills, and knowledge of leaders throughout the world. We appreciate and invite your assistance in expanding our listening leader’s connections. Eight simple steps in advancing this important movement include:

Listen with care to the voices of fanatical extremists everywhere, for they have an agenda that could be harmful to your health, way of life, and well-being.

Forward this newsletter to your children, grand children, friends and colleagues. More important, invite them to Subscribe to the “complimentary and weekly” newsletter by going to www.listeningleaders.com

Send us your listening leader insights, examples and stories.

Start a Listening Leaders Reading and Discussion Group. Invite your Librarian to purchase our Award winning LISTENING LEADER book.

As meeting, conference, and convention attendees spend the bulk of their time listening, please let others know of our availability to Keynote Conventions and customize Listening Leader Workshops.

Invite us to identify specific needs for listening development of leaders in your organizations.

Ask about our proven listening leader training programs and our customized in-house train-the-trainer strategies and our new Certification program.

We can help, we are committed, and we are listening.

Listen, Lead On & Make Today Count! – Manny & Rick

__________________________________________________________________

LISTENING LEADERS: THE TEN GOLDEN RULES
TO LISTEN, LEAD & SUCCEED

By Dr. Lyman K. Steil
& Dr. Richard K. Bommelje

Publisher: Beaver’s Pond Press
(ISBN 1-59298-073-2)

A pioneering book that directly connects listening with leadership.Based on more than 50 collective years of work with listening leaders throughout the world, Dr. Steil and Dr. Bommelje have created 10 practical, proven, and priceless rules to enhance everyone's listening and leadership success. Although outstanding leaders are outstanding listeners, most leaders have neglected the development of their listening attitudes, skills and knowledge.

“This is the most significant book ever written on listening and leadership and will profit leaders at all levels in all types of organizations and enterprises.” Dr. Ralph Nichols, Father of the Field of Listening

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Dr. Lyman K. (Manny) Steil
25 Robb Farm Road
St. Paul, MN 55127
651-483-3597
LKS@ListeningLeaders.com

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8530 Amber Oak Dr
Orlando, FL 32817
407-679-7280
RKB@ListeningLeaders.com

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