Listening Leaders

[ListeningLeaders]

Listening Leaders Newsletter



November 7, 2007

LISTENING LEADERS INVEST IN INVALUABLE INDIVIDUAL INVENTORIES

Listening Leaders® periodically invest in the process of taking inventory of everything they value in their lives. Like every productive enterprise, they create systems and methodically measure their existing assets and deficits. Included in the effective leader’s ledger is the important inventory of their personal and professional listening attitudes, skills, and knowledge. Listeners in growth heed the advice of Lao-tzu who, in the sixth century B.C. wrote, “He who knows others is learned; He who knows himself is wise.”

For as Shakespeare observed, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em.” Yet, the ultimate path to enhancing “listening greatness” calls for the ongoing measurement of present listening and leading behavior. How we see ourselves as listeners at any given moment will provide the pathway for reinforcing our positive listening behaviors, and altering any negative and counter-productive listening behaviors. In addition, how others see us as listeners provides the necessary clarity for everyone’s listening growth.

In short, what are your listening behaviors? How do you see yourself? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? How do others see you as a listener? What do they believe are your strengths and weaknesses? What are the gaps between their and your views of your listening strengths and limitations?

The key lies in taking inventory of our listening behaviors. For as William Blake observed, “Man’s desires are limited by his perceptions; none can desire what he has not perceived.” Thus two questions remain, “How well do you believe you listen to others? How well do others believe you listen to them?”

Listening Leaders® invite and invest in individual listening inventories.

In the January 19, 2005 Listening Leaders® Newsletter, we focused on the importance of engaging in the concrete step of listening assessment. The point was made that: “Over the years, we have observed that outstanding Listening Leaders® are astutely aware of their individual listening strengths and limitations. In addition, in their quest to build productive ‘Listening Organizations,’ they constantly measure the listening strengths and limitations of everyone around them. Simply put, productive Listening Leadership requires measurement and awareness.”

The good news is that in addition to taking individual and team listening inventory, we now offer a method of collecting the 360¡ perceptive feedback of every listener’s selected peers. Moving beyond the simple questions of how we perceive our listening behavior, we can now create an inventory of how others perceive our listening behavior. Completing the 50 question ILLI Listening Leadership® Behavior Inventory provides the rich opportunity of comparing how our view of our listening behavior matches the views of other observers of our listening behavior. The invaluable result is a gap analysis that provides a clear-cut picture of difference in the inventory process. It is a process that can only be ignored by every listener who chooses to remain in the dark.

Thus, the benefit of taking inventory resides in the advice of an old Chinese Proverb, “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” For in lightness everyone has a chance to grow. Listening Behavior Inventory is the candle that will provide the light.

LISTENING LEADER TIP OF THE WEEK: Invite significant others to inventory your listening behaviors

GOLDEN CIRCLE LISTENING LEADERS QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

  • The past is but the beginning of a beginning, and all that is and has been is but the twilight of the dawn ~ H. G. Wells
  • If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it to other people ~ Virginia Woolf
  • The truth shall make you free ~ John 8:32
  • Nothing is little to him that feels it with great sensibility ~ Samuel Johnson
  • No man sees far; the most see no farther than their noses ~ Thomas Carlyle
  • You have to study a great deal to know a little ~ Montesquieu

A LISTENING LEADER GIGGLE:

In taking inventory, it is important to remember that how we view the world depends on our experience and point of view.

A great illustration resides in a story of a young mother who was driving home one warm summer evening with her three young children. Suddenly, a voluptuous young woman in the convertible ahead of her stood up and waved. Surprisingly she was stark naked! As the mother of three reacted in shock, she heard her 5-year-old shout from the back seat, “Mom, that lady isn’t wearing her seat belt!” Yes indeed, every inventory depends on one’s perspective.

LISTENING LEADERS KUDOS

Kudos to the anonymous author who provides an additional list to inventory when he or she wrote:

You will never be sorry – for thinking before acting, for hearing before judging, for forgiving your enemies, for being candid and frank, for helping a fallen brother, for being honest in business, for thinking before speaking, for being loyal to your church, for standing by your principles, for stopping your ears to gossip, for bridling a slanderous tongue, for harboring only pure thoughts, for sympathizing with the afflicted, for being courteous and kind to all.

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:
  1. Initiate your listening assessment
  2. Send us your listening leader insights, examples and stories.
  3. Start a Listening Leaders Reading and Discussion Group. Invite your Librarian to purchase our Award winning LISTENING LEADER book.
  4. 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.
  5. Invite us to identify specific needs for listening development of leaders in your organizations.
  6. Ask about our proven listening leader training programs and our customized in-house train-the-trainer strategies and our new Certification program.
  7. 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

    Listening Leaders is a weekly e-mail newsletter for people who understand the value of Listening Leadership in their life.

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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

    © 2007 by International Listening Leadership Institute.
    All rights reserved