Listening Leaders Archived Edition

July 1, 2009

LISTENING LEADERS LEARN LIFES LITTLE LESSONS

Listening Leaders® listen to and learn from life’s little lessons. At a recent Father’s Day celebration, the question was asked, “What was the best advice your Father ever gave you?” The answers were varied and ultimately morphed into the larger question, “Did you listen and what life lessons have you learned?” Simple questions offer a significant perspective of importance and listening provides the ultimate key. Of course, all advice provides the potential to serve everyone well, provided it is truly understood, accepted, and acted upon. Unfortunately, many are like Winston Churchill, who observed, “I am always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.”

Nevertheless, Listening Leaders® will profit from remembering the wisdom embedded in the multitude of life’s little lessons pro-offered by the multitude of well-meaning individuals in their “Circle of Influence.” More importantly, we invite you to make a list of “Your Top 10 Lessons of Life.” What is the best advice you have received from others? What advice have you listened to and acted upon that has served you well? What advice have you disregarded that has proven costly? What is the best advice you are giving to others? Are they listening?

As advice and life’s little lessons are stated in many ways, listeners must remain attuned and vigilant, lest the advice slips away. Consider some time-tested bits of advice: “Don’t hit your sister/or brother”; “Eat your vegetables”; “Don’t run with scissors”; “Don’t play the other man’s game”; “Trust everyone, but cut the cards”; “Measure twice, cut once”; “Eat less, Move more”; “Study hard”; “Take a chance”; “Listen to your Mother”; “Save and invest wisely”; “Don’t gossip”; “Be generous”; “Respect your elders”; “Learn to say Please and Thank You”; “No one’s indispensible”; “Keep an open mind”; “This to shall pass”; “Listen to your Father”; “Let it go”; “Lower the lid”; “Read the entire document”; “Move to the pace of the race”; and, of course, “Listening pays in many ways.”

In sum, wise Listening Leaders® will heed the wisdom of Karl von Knebel, who offered a sound lesson of life in the later 1700’s, “He who can take advice is sometimes superior to him who can give it.”

LISTENING LEADER® KNOWLEDGE NUGGET: Listening Leaders® Listening Leaders® Listen to Life’s Little Lessons

Little lessons of life are shared in many forms and from many sources. In the sharing of some lessons, the original source is either lost or altered. Yet, the lessons are still worth listening to. Such is the case of a lesson filled poem, entitled “Slow Dance” that has been passed around the Internet, often attributed to Amy Bruce, a 7 year old terminally ill cancer patient. The poem is often coupled with an invitation from a Doctor to donate money to the American Cancer Society.

Unfortunately, according to Snopes.com, Amy Bruce is fictitious, the American Cancer Society will not donate money every time the poem is forwarded, and the Doctor whose name is listed as requesting the message be forwarded had nothing to do with the request. As Snopes.com reports, “If email were baseball, this message would be an automatic out, because it starts out with 3 strikes against it.”

Yet, the poem written by David L. Weatherford, Slow Dance, provides a meaningful little lesson of life that is worth listening to. Consider the lesson of “slowing down” in our fast paced daily dance.

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round, or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight, or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast, time is short, the music won’t last.

Do you run through each day on the fly, when you ask, “How are you?” do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed, with the next hundred chores running through your head?

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast, time is short, the music won’t last.

Ever told your child, we’ll do it tomorrow, and in your haste, not seen his sorrow?

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast, time is short, the music won’t last.

Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die, ‘cause you never had time to call and say “Hi”?

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast, time is short, the music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere, you miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day, it’s like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life isn’t a race, so take it slower, hear the music before your song is over.

LISTENING LEADER TIP OF THE WEEK: Slow down and listen to the lessons

GOLDEN CIRCLE LISTENING LEADERS QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

Dyb-dyb-dyb ~ Robert Baden-Powell
One gives nothing so freely as advice ~ Duc de la Rochefoucauld
Don’t teach your grandmother to suck eggs ~ Proverb
Never eat at a place called Mom’s. Never play cards with a man called Doc. Never go to bed with a woman whose troubles are greater than your own ~ Nelson Algren
No one wants advice – only corroboration ~ John Steinbeck
I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it ~ Harry S. Truman

A LISTENING LEADER GIGGLE:

Important lessons of life can be found around every corner, by simply observing the advice of those creative souls who sell printed Tee Shirts. Beyond the imbedded lesson one will often find a message of mirth. Consider some recent sightings.

Upon the Advice of My Attorney, My Shirt Bears No Message at This Time”

" Wrinkled Was Not One of the Things I Wanted to Be When I Grew Up”

“Procrastinate Now”

“ Rehab Is For Quitters”

“My Dog Can Lick Anyone”

“All Men Are Idiots & I Married Their King”

“Heck Is Where People Go Who Don’t Believe In Gosh”

“Computer Programmers Don’t Byte, They Just Nibble a Bit”.

“My Wild Oats Have Turned To Shredded Wheat”

“Never Lick A Steak Knife”

What humorous life lessons are printed on your tee shirts?

LISTENING LEADERS KUDOS

We extend our kudos to the multitude of life lesson makers and promoters throughout the world. Mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts and uncles, siblings, neighbors, teachers, coaches, advisors, priests and pastors, business men and women, law enforcers, employers and employees, doctors and lawyers, authors, actors, candle stick makers and Indian Chiefs. The list is endless and we salute all thoughtful individuals who listen for and model the positive lessons of life.

In addition, we offer our kudos to all individuals who listen to the lessons of life and put the important lessons into daily play. For it is in the practice of exhibiting the worthwhile lessons that others have the chance to listen and learn the importance and value of your valuable life lessons.

In short, kudos to all!

LISTENING LEADER TOOLS AVAILABLE TO YOU.

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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:

Listen for and live life’s important little lessons.

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

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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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