My grandmother used to tell me that I had two ears and one mouth, and I should practice using them in that ratio. I know I was born an ‘over-communicator’ but I am inspired by great leadership and so I sit up and take notice of great leaders. I observe how they apply their skills in a way that earns them the title of ‘a great leader’… and I’ve noticed something.
Leaders listen more… (at least the really great ones do!)
Now whenever you get into a conversation about History’s great leaders, there’s always someone in the room who mentions Adolf. I don’t think anyone would disagree that he was able to lead a nation to do great (although truly terrible) things – but I argue that as he used fear and intimidation as his main weaponry he doesn’t actually count as a ‘Great Leader’. Effective – Yes. Great – no.
The GREAT leadership I’m talking about inspires the accomplishment of truly astounding feats – those only possible when a bunch of humans collectively rise to be their best selves.
- Legends speak of King Arthur, Lancelot and the achievements of their rotund gathering
- History provides us with the examples of Joan of Arc – an 18 year old girl who took her advice from a higher plane and led her French army to victory
- Then there’s Alexander the Great – whose visionary mentor driven style enabled him to conquer most of the known world
So what about a current day example – who qualifies? If I exclude political and military leaders (I think that’s best) there are two sectors that provide rich pickings – the corporate world and the charity sector.
At a global level it’s hard to go past Richard Branson. Although not universally liked (who is?) it’s difficult to deny that Richard has mastered the art of tapping into people’s aspirations. He listened to what the world valued and craved – and set about providing it.
PEOPLE LISTEN TO HIM BECAUSE THEY ASPIRE TO SUCCEED LIKE HIM
Closer to home we have Sam Johnson. The Canterbury student who motivated and mobilised an unprecedented force for good – The Student Volunteer Army. Sam understood what his city needed most in its hour of need and set about pulling in the resources to make it happen. He used ‘shared adversity’ to bond and galvanise his troops – throwing in a bit of the kiwi ‘can do’ spirit alongside a good dose of ‘feel good factor’ and Sam started a movement that is still in effect today – over 7 years later.
PEOPLE LISTENED TO HIM BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED HIS GOALS WERE WORTHWHILE
In my role as a business advisor there is one universal truth. No matter what the issue or goal is – communication and leadership will be part of the answer. It doesn’t matter whether my clients are looking for support with succession planning, growth, marketing, restructure, management or operations – one of the key issues that always takes top priority is improving communication channels and growing leadership capability within the business.
There’s a reason people say that the most important asset in any business is the people… because no matter what you want to do, having your people as willing participants in the journey is the key to success.
I often use the DiSC framework to teach leaders about different communication styles and motivators. Equipping them with the tools to connect and communicate effectively with ALL members of their team creates a positive momentum and increases staff engagement. The enthusiasm with which my leaders absorb and digest the insight into their people shows there is a huge appetite amongst leaders for tools.
Understanding and tapping into what motivates people is the common denominator for all great leaders. Communicating in a way that makes people WANT to listen to you ensures everyone is getting the same message – it unifies teams and coordinates efforts. Then, once you have everybody rowing the boat, it’s easier to steer it where you want to go.
Getting everyone rowing the boat requires dexterity. You need to be what’s missing – and that can be different for everyone. At the risk of taking the boat metaphor too far – you need to decide whether you are being the tugboat leading (and pulling) them on the journey or the anchor that keeps them on track and doesn’t let them drift. Better communication connects people and creates strong lines of communication, which become the ‘ropes’ in our metaphor that allows leaders to guide and steer their people.
The dexterity required when leaders have a team with a diverse bunch of styles and motivations requires tools and expertise – but also provides the fertile ground from where ‘best in class’ performance stems from.
An ancient Chinese proverb sums it up nicely:
When they are the rock – be the water. When they are the water – be the rock.
Leadership isn’t about MAKING people listen to you – it’s about making them WANT to.