Inc., January 31, 2020
While leaders may do their fair share of talking -- delivering feedback, communicating goals, and managing crises -- a critical attribute of good 'inclusive' leadership is listening. Listening well can help you understand other people's attitudes and motivations, which is essential in building cooperative and productive relationships, as well as discerning which relationships you'd be better off avoiding. Consider these tips for better leadership listening:
1. Don't ask questions with hidden agendas. When your questions begin with "Wouldn't you agree...?" or "Don't you think ...?" and end with some variation of "Am I right?" you're probably trying to get others to see your point of view rather than understand theirs.
2. Be a reflective listener, not a reflexive listener. Attentive listeners -- as measured by their awareness of nonverbal cues -- receive more relevant and detailed information even without having to ask for it. If you aren't observing, you aren't learning. Inclusive Viewpoint: My mother would tell me: 'You never learn anything when you're talking'. Listening is an Art, which must be worked at by leaders in order to increase their 'EQ', and to learn how to be more effective when leading diverse teams