Listening with an Open Mind
At the heart of encouraging constructive dialogue is the ability to listen: Who will continue to speak to someone who hasn’t the ability to listen? Open minded listening leads to a two-way dialogue between the leader and the other person; thus it is a necessary skill for true communication in any arena. Effective global leaders have the ability to two-way communicate, which means they can listen as well as give feedback. The leader does not necessarily have to agree with the opinions and feedback he or she receives. However, by listening to and understanding the information, the global leader builds valuable resources upon which to draw when attempting to understand and solve employee and organizational challenges.
One person who comes to mind listens a lot more than he speaks. He makes sure that what he says is thoughtful. He is supportive of others and empathetic to their situations. ‘You have two ears and one mouth, use your ears, hear twice as much.’3
Each leader will possess many skills and attributes, but no leader will possess them all. However, many of these skills can be learned and many mistakes can be avoided if the leader has the ability and patience to listen to others, especially to those who possess the skills, knowledge, and attributes that the leader does not possess. On the other hand, the leader will not learn or expand his or her knowledge without possessing this attribute.
The value and benefits of listening are great. In fact, listening is possibly the one absolutely necessary skill for a global leader to be successful, because listening leads to learning learning about self, others, the organization, and the industry.