Listening Leaders Archived Edition

September 5, 2007

LISTENING LEADERS LOVE TO LABOR

As all great things come to an end, the scheduled summer sabbatical of Dr. LKS is now over. In the interim Dr. RKB’s Listening Leader Lazer Lessons have been a great hit with our thousands of Listening Leader Newsletter subscribers.

As we continue our commitment to “Advance Listening Leadership Worldwide,” we will labor on with a new writing and sharing strategy. Once a month we will provide an extended Listening Leader’s thought piece, followed by pithy weekly Listening Leader Laser Lessons. As always, we invite your thoughtful ideas and input with the aim to enhance Listening Leadership worldwide.

With the passing of another Labor Day, a simple fact remains: Listening Leaders understand and appreciate that effective listening requires a significant amount of focused labor! Truly productive listening requires hard work. Moreover, Listening Leaders embrace listening as a labor of love. Listening becomes “Job 1.” It permeates leaders thoughts and actions on a constant basis. In the process, Listening Leaders commit to work hard to plan, position, and exercise their never-ending listening strategies and actions. As listeners, they assume the predominate responsibility for successful communication. They identify and align their communication purposes with sender’s purposes. They look for value moments of listening. They master the utility and skills of applying the SIER listening stages. They identify and control their emotions. They fine-tune their note taking skills. They find love in their labor as they accept the required labor to control their listening destiny.

In addition, smart Listening Leaders understand that one skilled listener listening in a sea of unskilled listeners is grossly insufficient and simply provides an opportunity for additional labor. The worlds sea of unskilled listeners is vast and calls for every skilled Listening Leader to accept the challenge of promoting the development of listening amongst those they lead: in their families; workplaces; educational institutions; houses of worship; social settings; and more.

As scheduled summer sabbaticals have come to an end, our ongoing invitation and challenge is simple. Make a list of listening tasks worthy of your labor. In the next 3 months, what measurable listening development projects will you embrace? Make it a labor of love and let us know your meaningful results.

LISTENING LEADER KNOWLEDGE NUGGET: Listening Leaders find love in their listening labor.

On August 25th Charlie Rose interviewed two proven leaders, and now insightful authors on their long experience as leaders. Most interesting, both focused on the importance of listening and the dearth of listening leaders. John Whitehead was the former Co-Chairman of Goldman Sachs, a Deputy Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan, and Chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Project. His new book, “A Life in Leadership: from D-day to Ground Zero” is a valuable read for anyone interested in listening leadership. In response to Charlie Rose’s question about the state of leadership in today’s world, Whitehead observed, “We are going through a time when the whole world lacks for leadership” and that “leadership is suffering because most people don’t listen enough.” In discussing the challenge of poor listening, Whitehead repeated what we have been saying for decades: “When you talk, you only say what you already know. You only learn when you listen.” The key to learning about and solving problems lies in asking others, listening, and taking meaningful action.

As the recent Chairman and CEO of Medtronic, Bill George led the growth of Medtronic from a $1.1 billion to $60 billion dollar company in ten years. In addition, George is Professor of Management Practice, Henry B. Arthur Fellow of Ethics, at Harvard Business School, where he is teaching leadership and leadership development. He is the author of the new best-selling leadership book, "True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership."

Bill George focuses his initial labor of love on the importance of self- analysis and self-awareness. In his assessment of great leaders, George believes they hold the common ability “to align people around a sense of purpose and values” which “then empowers other people to step up and lead.” Listening is crucial as “people only help support what they create.”

For as the Spanish priest, St. Ignatius Loyola so aptly observed in his “Prayer for Generosity”: “To give and not count the cost; To fight and not heed the wounds; To toil and not seek for rest; To labour and not ask for any reward Save that of knowing that we do Thy will.” That is the Listening Leaders calling.

In all cases, it begins and ends with a constant labor of love.

LISTENING LEADER TIP OF THE WEEK: Develop a plan of listening courtship; exercise the plan; measure the rewards and, enjoy the fruits of your labor.

GOLDEN CIRCLE LISTENING LEADERS QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

Love is the miracle of civilization ~ Stendhal
Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labour by taking up another ~ Anatole France
Loving is not just caring deeply, it’s, above all, understanding ~ Sagan
Every man’s task is his life-preserver ~ Emerson
Love labor: …It is wholesome for the body and good for the mind ~ William Penn

A LISTENING LEADER GIGGLE:

No matter the task, for those who love to labor, unemployment can be difficult. Such was the case of a butter-fingered man who had suffered from a long siege of unemployment. Fortunately, he finally found a job in a fine china warehouse.

Unfortunately, he had been at work for only a few days when he dropped and broke a large and expensive vase. Fearing that he would be fired, he was summoned to his superiors’ office and told in no uncertain terms that he would have money deducted from his wages every week until the vase was fully paid for.

“How much was the vase worth?” asked the clumsy and often unemployed worker.

“Two thousand, seven hundred and fifty dollars,” replied his manager.

To which the worker responded, “Oh, that’s wonderful! Finally I’ve found a steady job!”

For Listening Leaders who are seeking steady work, unemployment will never be an issue.

LISTENING LEADERS KUDOS

Congratulations and kudos to Dr. Sam and Sara Shuster who are enjoying and celebrating their 13th Wedding Anniversary. With the perpetual activities of 4 wonderful children, listening is truly a “labor of love.” We are told the secret of their marital bliss includes a daily strategy to ensure that everyone is listened to with a “focused and caring heart.” Congratulations as you Listen, Lead On & Make Everyday Count!

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:

Enjoy the fruits of your Labor.

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

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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