Listening Leaders Archived Edition

April 4, 2007

LISTENING LEADERS INSPIRE INNOVATION

Listening Leaders® invite and inspire innovation.

Listening Leaders® understand that innovation lies at the base of all productive endeavors and utilize their power of inspiration and reinforcement accordingly. As “Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity and not a threat,” productive leaders listen, invite, and inspire innovation. Conversely, unproductive leaders refuse to listen to innovative voices and miss the multitude of opportunities for profiting from innovative change. For as Walt Whitman admonished the thoughtful reader, “…there can be no safety for these States without innovators, without free tongues, and ears to hear the tongues.” Yet many ignore the innovative voice.

In 1868, Dostoyevsky suggested in The Idiot, “Innovators and men of genius have almost always been regarded as fools at the beginning (and very often at the end) of their careers.” Nearly 50 years later, Aldous Huxley opined, “The vast majority of human beings dislike and even actually dread all notions with which they are not familiar. Thus, innovators have generally been persecuted and always derided as fools and madmen.”

Although Dostoyevsky and Huxley may overstate the case, one fact stands out. Without invitation and inspired listening leadership®, innovation will never see the light of day. For without invested listening, innovative ideas die on the vine or disappear into the black holes of the universe. Innovative souls need to be invited to speak and listened to with respect. They require the inspiration and rewards of supportive listeners.

To that end, effective Listening Leaders® will profit from the advice of Edmund C. Berkeley. Known as “Berkeley's Laws” we are reminded: “The world is more complicated than most of our theories make it out to be; Ignorance is no excuse; Never decide to buy something while listening to the salesman; Most problems have either many answers or no answers; Only a few problems have a single answer; Most general statements are false, including this one.”

Skilled Listening Leaders® invite and inspire innovation by simply remembering that no one knows everything. Innovation results from listening to what we don’t know. Advancement of “Listening InKnowvation” calls for four simple action-oriented listening steps.

First, bright leaders come to the humbling conclusion that others may know much more about important things than they do. As a result, they operate with an open mind. Second, effective leaders identify the truly innovative individuals within their circle of impact. They operate with a special “to be listened to” list. Third, productive leaders provide special invitations and opportunities for innovative ideas to be listened to without judgment and with reward. In the process, they create special times and places for uninterrupted listening. Last, but not least, wise leaders supplement innovation resources with implementation resources. For the most innovative idea not implemented is no better than the least innovative idea offered.

The bottom line is simple: throughout human history innovation has always required the leadership of listeners. For as James Burke’s PBS "Connections" series reinforced, the web of innovation has always been highly interconnected. Each innovation brings forth a paradigm shift which enables other innovations that were unthinkable in the previous paradigm. Remove action-oriented Listening Leaders® and watch meaningful innovation disappear. On the other hand, find the innovators, add the listeners, mix with implementers, and lead on.

LISTENING LEADER KNOWLEDGE NUGGET: Listening Leaders® invite and inspire innovators and innovation.

Invaluable innovative ideas come from many directions and sources. The key question is, “Are you listening?” Maxine Clark is a listener to innovative ideas, and as a result, she is known as one of the true innovators in the retail industry. During her 30-year career, her rare ability to spot emerging retail and merchandising trends and insight into the desires of the American consumer generated growth for retail leaders, including department store, discount and specialty stores.

Yet, she left her high profile, financially rewarding position as President of Payless Shoe Source to build a business that would encourage the creative out-of-the-box thinking of children. As Maxine Clark explains, “The precise blueprint for the business came together during a shopping expedition with my wonderful young friend Katie Burkhardt, who was 10 years old at the time.” By listening to Katie and her teddy bear George, her Associates, her thousands of Guests, and her heart, innovation followed innovation and Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. has grown to nearly 300 Build-A-Bear Workshop stores worldwide, including company owned stores in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom, and franchised stores in Europe, Asia and Australia

As the founder and COB Chief Executive Bear) of Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc., Maxine Clark loves to listen to the innovative ideas of those who view the world from a different perspective than she; especially children. For as Maxine explained, “Every day, I listen to what young children have to say. Kids are just plain insightful, regardless of the business you’re in. They look at the world differently from most adults. They aren’t afraid to be silly or show their emotions. They’re naturally kind and mostly unafraid. They don’t censor themselves for fear of sounding stupid or having their ideas judged. They speak their minds and say such amazing and spontaneous things. In short, kids are worth listening to.” Of course, Maxine is a great proponent of listening to Build-A-Bear’s Associates and Guests. The result is cumulative.

For example, as Maxine explains in her new book, The Bear Necessities of Business. Building a Company with Heart, it was “Katie’s enthusiasm that convinced me there was a business to be made from making bears. An adult friend talked me into putting hearts into our animals. And a part-time store Associate is responsible for getting me to see that we should have our Guests make a wish while creating their bears. All of these things are now very vital parts of our brands DNA.”

To think it all comes from inviting and inspiring innovation. As Isaac Newton said “if I have been able to see farther than others, it was because I stood on the shoulders of giants.” Or, as we have always said, “Listening Pays In Many Ways!”

LISTENING LEADER TIP OF THE WEEK: Reward innovators and implementers.

GOLDEN CIRCLE LISTENING LEADERS QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

I believe in being an innovator ~ Walt Disney
When it comes to changes, people like only those they make themselves ~ French Proverb
A brand new mediocrity is thought more of than accustomed excellence ~ Baltasar Grecián
Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
When you innovate, you've got to be prepared for everyone telling you you're nuts present ~ Larry Ellison
Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower ~ Steve Jobs
This is the nature of genius, to be able to grasp the knowable even when no one else recognizes that it is present ~ Deepak Chopra
The winner is the chef who takes the same ingredients as everyone else and produces the best result ~ Edward de Bono

A LISTENING LEADER GIGGLE:

Will Rogers was the Baron of Brevity and offered short and timeless advice to all.

I asked a number of strangers to tell me the most innovative thought they could remember, and this is a sampling:

“There are two things on earth that are universal: hydrogen and stupidity.”

”There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both ways save us from thinking.”

”There has been an alarming increase in the number of things you know nothing about.”

”There has been opposition to every innovation in the history of man, with the possible exception of the sword.”

”There is a coherent plan in the universe, though I don't know what it's a plan for.”

”There is a right way, a wrong way, and my way to do everything.

”There is absolutely no substitute for a genuine lack of preparation.”

So much for inviting and inspiring innovation from strangers.

LISTENING LEADERS KUDOS

To innovators everywhere!

BECOME CERTIFIED TO TEACH LISTENING LEADERSHIP IN YOUR ORGANIZATION.

You will become fully equipped to deliver a unique and proven Workshop that provides practical and measurable results. For certification details, go to www.ListeningLeaders.com

ORDER YOUR “LISTENING LEADERS WORKSHOP ‘IN A BOX’.

You don't have to wait for the next live Listening Leaders® Workshop! The entire workshop is in a format that you can take at your own pace in the comfort of your own office or home. For details, go to www.ListeningLeaders.com

WE ARE LISTENING and invite your action

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 to the innovators

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

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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

ORDER YOUR COPY at www.ListeningLeaders.com or www.amazon.com

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

Dr. Richard K. (Rick) Bommelje
8530 Amber Oak Dr
Orlando, FL 32817
407-679-7280
RKB@ListeningLeaders.com

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