Listening Leaders Archived Edition

December 5, 2007

LISTENING LEADERS LEAVE A LEGACY OF LOYALTY

Listening Leaders® labor to live a life and leave a legacy of loyalty. The simple fact remains, everyone values and appreciates the important and constant actions of loyalty. Today the demands for loyalty are numerous and the listening challenges of leaders remain unending. Thus, a basic question arises: “To whom and to what are you loyal?”

Golden Circle Listening Leaders understand that loyalty is a virtue that lies at the heart of all true friendship and productive teamwork. As such, earned loyalty demands a commitment to listen with a truly open and non-judgmental mind. At the same time, building the ultimate legacy of being a loyal listener does not require blind loyalty or simple-minded agreement with those whom we choose to listen to. Rather it calls for every listening leader to develop a “Listener’s Oath” they can be true to. For as Athenaeus simply noted, “Goodness does not consist in greatness, but greatness in goodness.”

By following a specific listening path, a lasting legacy of listening loyalty can be established. It can begin as follows: “I promise to commit myself everyday and in every way to the following listening actions.

First, I will identify specific values to which I will commit my life-long loyalty.

Second, I will identify specific individuals to whom I will commit my life-long loyalty.

Third, I will identify specific organizations to which I will commit my life-long loyalty.

Fourth, I will practice caring and open-minded listening in my loyalty building quest. I will be loyal and thoughtful in the process of building long-term trust. My listening loyalty will be earned.

Fifth, I will be available whenever needed. You can count on me in both good and bad times. I will listen to your successes and your travails.

Sixth, I will earn your confidence by keeping your secrets.

Finally, like Boy Scouts everywhere, I will be prepared. I will study the art and science of listening, and commit to working hard at becoming a better listener everyday. I will build a legacy by becoming a loyal listener.

In the process of shaping your own listening legacy with a loyalty oath, it is imperative to remember the simple, but critical, truth of A. P. Gouthey, who wrote, “Loyalty is the one thing a leader cannot do without.”

Listening Leaders® establish a listening loyalty oath.

Listening Leaders® will be reminded that true loyalty is limited, yet crucial, in Rudyard Kipling’s poem The Thousandth Man.

“One man in a thousand, Solomon says, Will stick more close than a brother. And it’s worthwhile seeking him half your days If you find him before the other. Nine hundred and ninety-nine depend On what the world sees in you, But the Thousandth Man will stand by your friend With the whole round world agin you.

‘Tis neither promise nor prayer nor show Will settle the finding for ‘ee. Nine hundred and ninety-nine of ‘em go By your looks, or your acts, or your glory, But if he finds you and you find him, The rest of the world don’t matter; For the Thousandth Man will sink or swim With you in any water.

You can use his purse with no more talk Than he uses yours for his spendings, And laugh and meet in your daily walk As though there had been no lendings. Nine hundred and ninety-nine of ‘em call, For silver and gold in their dealings; But the Thousandth Man he’s worth them all, Because you can show him your feelings.

His wrong’s your wrong, and his right’s your right, In season or out of season. Stand up and back it in all men’s sight─ With That for your only reason! Nine hundred and ninety-nine can’t bide The Shame or mocking or laughter,

But the Thousandth Man will stand by your side To the gallows-foot-and after!

LISTENING LEADER TIP OF THE WEEK: Become one in a thousand.

GOLDEN CIRCLE LISTENING LEADERS QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

Dog does not eat dog ~ Proverb
He has every attribute of a dog except loyalty ~ Senator Thomas P. Gore
You cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds ~ Proverb
A man who will steal for me will steal from me~ Theodore Roosevelt
Hold a true friend with both your hands ~ Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend ~ Henry David Thoreau
A road to a friend’s house is never long ~ Danish Proverb
Have a heart that never harden, a temper that never tires, a touch that never hurts ~ Charles Dickens

A LISTENING LEADER GIGGLE:

Loyalty can be tested in many ways, simply by listening to the unexpected, as illustrated by a story one of our elderly friends recently shared.

Evidently an elderly gentleman had suffered serious hearing problems for a number of years. Although his seemingly loyal family and friends appeared to accommodate his hearing deficiencies, the gentleman quietly searched for a genius doctor who could solve his problem. Eventually he found one who fitted him with a set of hearing aids that allowed him to hear with 100% clarity.

At the one month checkup the doctor was overjoyed and said, “Isn’t technology wonderful? Your hearing is now perfect. Your family and friends must be so pleased that you can hear again.”

To which the elderly gentleman replied, “Oh, I haven’t told my family and friends about your medical and technological genius yet. I just sit around and listen to everyone’s conversations. So far, I have changed my will three times.”

LISTENING LEADERS KUDOS

Kudos to Dr. Rob Cavanna and his Resource® Training & Solutions Leadership team who understand and exhibit the importance of earned loyalty. Led by Dr. Rob Cavanna, Resource® is a multi-faceted, diverse, and robust Minnesota Service Cooperative that loyally serves a broad array of individual members, schools, cities, counties, and communities.

As a public non-profit corporation, Dr. Cavanna and his team are focused on the mission of building meaningful relationships that enrich their members and equip them with tools for success. Enhancing listening and loyalty are at the heart of their mission. Moreover, their recent completion of a Listening Leaders® Seminar, The Listening Leaders® 10 Golden Rules Fast-Track Challenge, and the Listening Leadership Behavior Inventory illustrates their collective commitment to meaningful and loyal service to others. Congratulations to Rob and his Resource® Team!

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:

Leave a legacy of listening, leading, and loyalty.

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 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

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

It is brought to you by
the INTERNATIONAL LISTENING LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
We welcome your comments, suggestions and questions.
Please e-mail: ClientServices@ListeningLeaders.com.

Also, please visit our website: www.ListeningLeaders.com

Join our Golden Circle of Listening Leaders who are spreading Listening Leadership attitude, skills and knowledge worldwide! Forward your copy to anyone you believe will benefit from reading The Listening Leaders!

COPYRIGHT AND REPRINTS
Reprint permission is granted when the following credit appears: "© International Listening Leadership Institute. Reprinted with permission from ‘“The Listening Leaders Newsletter,' a weekly Internet newsletter”. For your own personal subscription, go to www.ListeningLeaders.com"

PRIVACY STATEMENT
Your e-mail address is absolutely confidential. We will NEVER give, sell or share your address with anyone.

Subscribe Cancel Update

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

[ListeningLeaders]