Listening Leaders Archived Edition

November 5, 2008

LISTENING LEADERS CHERISH CHOICE TO CHOOSE

Listening Leaders® cherish their choice to choose who will represent them for years to come. Although many voters will celebrate in yesterday’s victory of their candidates, many others will be dismayed with the loss of theirs. Although many believe: the election cycle is much too long; that money and advertising distort the selection process; that the media has lost it’s objectivity; that negative campaigning is tiresome and distasteful; ultimate choice resides in the listener’s hand.

Of course, all effective Listening Leaders® understand and accept the responsibility that the privilege of choice requires at least five critical action steps. First and foremost, the responsibility of choice calls for meaningful involvement and thoughtful activity. Assumption of responsibility and preparation is basic. Second, the privilege of choice demands the assumption of primary responsibility be placed upon the listener to sort out the actual meaning of all candidates. Movement beyond the mind-numbing sound bytes is a challenge of the highest order. Third, responsible choice requires an insight and control of every listener’s emotions. As all listeners are impacted by the specific emotional triggers of people, topics, and language, one thing is clear. When others know more about your emotional triggers than you know about your emotional triggers, they are in a position to affect and control your choice. Fourth, the rendering of meaningful choice requires the listener’s refined ability to dissect unsound arguments, specious positions, unsupportable claims, and distorted rhetoric. Last, but certainly not least, the most important action step related to the privilege of choice is that listening never ends. The elections are over for this moment but the electorate’s task of holding the elected to their many promises remains. Listening and responding never ends.

Fortunately, contrary to Isaac Bashevis Singer’s expressed belief, “We have to believe in free will. We’ve got no choice.” We all are blessed with the opportunity to express our satisfaction or dissatisfaction of our leader’s actions as we will choose again in 2008 and 2010 and beyond. The choice for listeners to choose continues and must be cherished.

LISTENING LEADER® KNOWLEDGE NUGGET: Listening Leaders® cherish their choice to choose.

If you remember the essence of the story,

One day Henny-Penny was in the corn yard when--whack!--something hit her upon the head. “The sky’s falling, the sky’s falling!” cried Henny-penny; “I must go and tell the King.”

As she went along she met Cocky-locky, who asked, “Where are you going, Henny-penny?” “Oh! I'm going to tell the King the sky's falling,” said Henny-penny. So Henny-penny and Cocky-locky went to tell the King the sky was falling.

Soon they met Ducky-daddles. “Where are you going to, Henny-penny and Cocky-locky?” asked Ducky-daddles. “We're going to tell the King the sky's falling,” said Henny-penny and Cocky-locky. So Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, and Ducky-daddles went to tell the King the sky was a-falling.

Soon they met Goosey-poosey who asked, “Where are you going, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, and Ducky-daddles?” “We're going to tell the King the sky's falling,” said Henny-penny, and so, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles and Goosey-poosey went to tell the King the sky was falling.

Soon they met Turkey-lurkey, and then Foxy-woxy, on their quest to tell the King the sky's falling. But Foxy-woxy said, “But this is not the way to the King. I know the proper way; shall I show it you?” “Certainly, Foxy-woxy,' said Henny-penny, and they all went to tell the King the sky was falling.

But soon they came to a narrow and dark hole, the door of Foxy-woxy's cave, and Foxy-woxy said “This is the short way to the King's palace, so just follow me.”

As Foxy-woxy went into his cave, Turkey-lurkey followed until, “Hrumph”, Foxy-woxy snapped off Turkey-lurkey's head and threw his body over his left shoulder. Then Goosey-poosey followed, and lost her head and was thrown beside Turkey-lurkey. Then Ducky-daddles waddled down, and Foxy-woxy, snapped off her head and she was thrown alongside Turkey-lurkey and Goosey-poosey. Then Cocky-locky strutted down into the cave, and met the same fate.

But Foxy-woxy had made two bites at Cocky-locky, and when the first snap only hurt Cocky-locky, but didn't kill him, he called out to Henny-penny who turned tail, ran for home, and never did tell the King the sky was falling.

LISTENING LEADER TIP OF THE WEEK: Be careful who you listen to, and then listen well.

GOLDEN CIRCLE LISTENING LEADERS QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

‘Tis better to have fought and lost, than never to have fought at all ~ Arthur Hugh Clough
As always, victory finds a hundred fathers, but defeat is an orphan ~ Count Galeazzo Ciano
A man can be destroyed but not defeated ~ Ernest Hemingway
Woe to the vanquished ~ Titus Livius
One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak ~ G. K. Chesterton
In order to become the master, the politician poses as a servant ~ Charles De Gaulle
Don’t tell my mother I’m in politics – she thinks I play the piano in a whorehouse ~ Anonymous

A LISTENING LEADER GIGGLE:

Steve Leuthold, the Golden Circle Listening Leader®, Distinguished Alumni of Albert Lea High School, and a recognized international financial investment guru, tells the story of a lady who was arrested for stealing a can of peaches. Finding herself in front of a tough, no nonsense judge she was asked point-blank, “Tell me, did you steal the can of peaches?”

With no sign of remorse, she angrily responded, “Yes I did! I was hungry and had a right to steal the peaches.”

Surprised, the judge asked, “How many peaches were in the can?” With no hesitation, the lady defendant said, “six.” To which the judge responded, “I thereby sentence you to six months in jail.”

Upon hearing the judge’s tough sentence, the meek man standing quietly by his wife’s side raised his hand. By this time the judge had lost his patience and barked, “And what do you want?”

With downcast eyes, the husband replied, “Your honor, I just want you to know that she also stole a large can of peas

Whatever the case, be careful of choosing your witnesses and supporters.

LISTENING LEADERS KUDOS

Kudos to Studs Terkel for his life long contribution to the practice of meaningful listening. Studs Terkel’s recent death should remind all Listening Leaders® that “Listening indeed pays in many ways.” Terkel was a master of listening who will be remembered as the preeminent oral historian of 20th century America.

His success as a Pulitzer prize winning author and compelling radio host was built on the simple premise of asking people from all walks of life, probing questions and then letting them talk, and talk, and talk. Studs Terkel was a skilled artist of conversation who described his work as “Listening to what people tell me.” From political leaders to a broad segment of common men, Terkel drew out unfiltered responses that captured people’s dreams and memories, fears and frustrations, and conditions of their everyday lives. He was a Master of Listening. .

Studs Terkel has passed on, but the result of his focused listening can be found in his wonderful writings: “Division Street: America” (1966); “Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression” (1970); “Working” (1974); “The Good War: An Oral History of World War II” (1984).

We salute and will miss a most skilled and productive listener. May Studs Terkel rest in peace.

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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:

Cherish your choice to choose and choose wisely.

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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
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