How To Listen And Learn As A Leader

In John Baldoni's book, The Leader's Guide to Speaking with Presence, he provides these tips for listening as a leader and learning as a leader:

When Listening As A Leader:

• Look at people when they are speaking to you. Make eye contact.
• Ask open-ended questions, such as "Tell me about..." or "Could you explain this?"
• Consider the "what if" question:  "What if we looked at the situation like this?"
• Leverage the "why" question:  "Why do we do it this way?"
• Employ the "how" question:  "How can you do this?"

When Learning As A Leader:

• Reflect on what people have told you.
• Think about what you have not observed.  Are people holding back?  If so, why?
• Consider how you can implement what you have observed.
• Get back to people who have suggested ideas to you and thank them.
• Look for opportunities to collaborate with others.

For nearly 20 years, Baldoni has coached and consulted for a number of leading companies in a variety of different businesses, ranging from automotive and banking to computers, high technology, fast food, and packaged goods.