Listening Leaders Archived Edition

January 6, 2010

LISTENING LEADERS BOLDLY BELIEVE

Welcome to another New Year and a New Decade! It is time for all Listening Leaders® to boldly build your personal “I Believe” creed. As yet another year, and the first decade of the 21st Century, comes to an end, many set about creating another annual list of “Resolutions.” Of course, making annual lists of intended resolutions can be productive, if and when they are followed through.

On the other hand, when it comes to listening, we believe that it is significantly more important to thoughtfully establish and act upon a personal list of one’s basic beliefs about listening. Simply put, what do you believe about listening?

In 1953, American songwriter Ervin Drake wrote and, singer Frankie Laine popularized, the song “I Believe.” Throughout the country everyone knew the simple words:

“I believe for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows; I believe that somewhere in the darkest night; a candle glows. I believe for everyone who goes astray, someone will come to show the way; I believe, I believe.

I believe above a storm the smallest prayer can still be heard; I believe that someone in the great somewhere hears every word. Every time I hear a new born baby cry, or touch a leaf, or see the sky, then I know why I believe.”

In the same vein, the onset of 2010 provides Listening Leaders® an opportunity for writing many new songs entitled: “I Believe In Listening!” But, as you compose your “Listening Beliefs” remember the wisdom of Buddha’s advice: “Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”

Meaningful listening begins with beliefs and moves to action. For, as Thomas Fuller so wisely observed, “He does not believe who does not live according to his belief.” In the same sense, Ezra Pound reminds us, “What matters is not the idea a man holds, but the depth at which he holds it.” Ultimately the key resides in living your beliefs.

So as you begin to boldly build your “Beliefs About Listening” we offer some simple examples to jump-start your Listening Leaders® listening beliefs creed. For We Believe:

Listening resides at the heart of all important life activities.” “Listening is our primary communication activity.” “Effective listening and effective leadership are inseparable.” Listening involves an innate, learned and improvable set of attitudes, skills and knowledge.” “Effective listeners honor and engage the 51% Minimum Responsibility Rule.” “Poor listening is costly.” “Effective listening is rewarding.” “Listening is measurable, learnable, and teachable. “Educational and organizational listening training and development pays off.” “Any investment in enhancing listening results in significant ROI.” “Potential listening growth opportunities reside between the covers of our book, Listening Leaders: The Ten Golden Rules to Listen, Lead & Succeed.” “If it’s going to be, It’s up to me.”

Thus, we pause and invite each of you to begin writing your “Beliefs About Listening.” Upon your completion, we invite you to share your beliefs with us. In turn, with your permission, we will share some of your best “Listening Beliefs” with our thousands of ILLI Newsletter subscribers.

In the process, we will all become better Listening Leaders®. For as Mahatma Gandhi observed, “ Men often become what they believe themselves to be.”

LISTENING LEADER® KNOWLEDGE NUGGET: Listening Leaders boldly build beliefs.

Most listeners dislike listening to consistent complainers and grumblers and will enjoy a clever story about the “Family of Grumblers.” It has been written:

The weather is always too hot or cold; summer and winter alike they scold. Nothing goes right with the folks you meet, down on that gloomy Complaining Street. They growl at the rain, and they growl at the sun. In fact, their growling is never done. And if everything pleased them, there isn't a doubt. They'd growl that they'd nothing to grumble about!

But the queerest thing is no one can be brought to acknowledge his family name. For never a Grumbler will own that he is connected with it at all, you see. And the worst thing is that if anyone stays among them too long, he will learn their ways; and before he dreams of the terrible jumble, he's adopted into the family of Grumble.

So it is wisest to keep our feet, from wandering into Complaining Street. And never to growl, whatever we do, lest we be mistaken for Grumblers too. Let us learn to walk with a smile and a song, no matter if things do sometimes go wrong. And then, be our station high or humble, we'll never belong to the family of Grumble!”

So our opportunity is clear. Developing clearly established beliefs will also help Listening Leaders® deal with the Grumblers of life. The challenge to become better listeners every day is great and begins with the belief that one can. In the 14th Century, the Italian author, Giovanni Boccaccio reminded his readers of an old common Italian phrase, “Il meglio l’ininico del bene”, meaning “Better is the enemy of good.” Obviously, in establishing bold beliefs, the challenge must always focus on becoming better.

LISTENING LEADER TIP OF THE WEEK: Build your listening beliefs and focus on becoming better.

GOLDEN CIRCLE LISTENING LEADERS QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around ~ Henry David Thoreau
All personal breakthroughs begin with a change in beliefs ~ Anthony Robbins
All right, have it your way - you heard a seal bark ~ James Thurber
When I believe in nothing I do not want to meet you when you believe in nothing ~ Antonio Porchia
Believe it or not ~ R. L. Ripley
Some things have to be believed to be seen ~ Ralph Hodgson,
Martyrdom has always been a proof of the intensity, never the correctness, of a belief ~ Arthur Schweitzer
Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones ~ Bertrand Russell
Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail ~ Charles F. Kettering
Generally the theories we believe we call facts, and the facts we disbelieve we call theories ~ Felix Cohen
You can do it if you believe you can! ~ Napoleon Hill

A LISTENING LEADER GIGGLE:

Our friend Antoinette Berget shared a story of an old man who believed that if he ate his wife’s delicious chocolate-chip cookies every day, he would live a long life. Every day she would happily cook her wonderful cookies and every day he would eat and enjoy her cookies.

The years passed, and finally the old man’s health and strength began to fail. Then, one day while lying in bed near death, the old man smelled the wonderful aroma of his favorite chocolate-chip cookies wafting up the stairs.

With his long-held belief about the power of the cookies intact, the old man gathered his remaining strength and climbed from his bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort forced himself down the stairs, gripping the railing with both hands. With labored breath, he leaned against the doorframe, gazing into the kitchen.

Were it not for his near death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven. There, spread out upon newspapers on the kitchen table was literally hundreds of his favorite chocolate-chip cookies.

Was this heaven, or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted wife, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?

Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself toward the table. His shaking, aged and withered hand, made its way towards a cookie at the edge of the table, when all of a sudden his wife suddenly smacked him with a spatula.

"Stay out of those," she said. "They're for the funeral.”

All Listening Leaders® should prepare and enjoy your beliefs while you can.

LISTENING LEADERS KUDOS

We extend our Kudos to all our wonderful true-believing Golden Circle Listening Leaders®. Over the last six years, your support and valued feedback has expanded, reinforced, and emboldened our beliefs about the process and imperative of listening.

We thank you for passing our Listening Leaders Newsletter to others and for recommending they sign up for a Complimentary Subscription. We also value and applaud all of you who have read our book, followed our Listening Leaders: Ten Golden Rules to Listen, Lead & Succeed model, and recommended our book to others.

We appreciate all of you who have completed our Listening Leadership Behavior Inventory (LLBI) and discovered new insights from your 360¡ Inventory Feedback. In addition we applaud each of you who have found profit in our “Listening Leaders Workshop in-A-Box.” And, of course, we have been impressed with those who have stepped forward to become certified to deliver the Listening Leader message.

We value each of you who have invited us to speak at your important meetings and events. The opportunity to infuse your meetings with our listening message and enhance the listening behavior of your attendees has made a difference. In addition, we have enjoyed the important opportunities to provide deeper in-house listening training to many of your colleagues.

But most important, we tip our hat to everyone who is deeply committed to the continued quest to become better listeners every day. Thank you for helping us “Advance Listening Leadership Worldwide.”

LISTENING LEADER TOOLS AVAILABLE TO YOU.

Subscribe to Dr. Rick's e-newsletter LEADERSHIP SEEDS by sending an email to RKB@ListeningLeaders.com The leadership seeds content takes 90 seconds to read and a lifetime to master.
Order the Listening Leaders Book
Take the Leadership Behavior Inventory (LLBI).
Order the complete Listening Leader Workshop-in-a-Box

FOR DETAILS, PLEASE CLICK ON: 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:

Create your own Listening Creed.

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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