Listening as an integral step of your leadership evolution (feat. Erin Snyder)

Mar 15, 2021

What was the most important part of your journey in becoming the leader you are today?

Most likely, like any other senior executive or entrepreneur, at a certain point of your growth you were told you had to learn how to speak in an effective way to be a successful leader — to make sure your team could understand you, crystal clear.

Public speaking is taught in college and is a requirement for business majors. Why isn’t it the same for listening?

Did you ever have a listening class?

I’ll bet you didn’t! But do you believe that active listening is crucial to reaching success as a leader? As leaders, we may not reinforce enough how important it is to actively listen.

If you pay attention, you will realize that bad listening habits are at the core of many of your team’s everyday challenges. Why should you choose to focus on listening instead of just worrying about improving your executive presence?

The real power in leadership is the way people listen, being present to hear what’s really going on — which can be the critical pivot point in how you and your organization adapt to change during the biggest challenges.

Here’s why:

  • Trust and stronger bonds: Employees recognize leaders that recognize them. By actively listening to their needs, you gain their trust and respect. When trust is built, loyalty comes naturally in your team because empathy strengthens cooperation and mutual support. It also opens the space for innovation and collaboration if your team feels safe in bringing new ideas to the table.
  • Fewer complaints: When complaints are listened to — guess what happens? They disappear! The reason people continue to complain is that they don’t feel heard or understood, thus creating a vicious cycle that feeds itself. When the right kind of listening takes place, the complainer feels seen and heard and can let go of the problem.
  • Higher productivity: Think about it, are you more motivated to work at the best of your capabilities when you are recognized or when you feel invisible in your workspace? Valuing your team’s opinion will show results in your organization’s productivity. This ability to shift your listening to help others feel heard will save you time (and money).

You might think it’ll take too long to listen, but the time pays off if you do it the right way. Learn how to actively listen (the right way) and adapt to change on this episode of The Enlightened Executive, with Susan Drumm and Erin Snyder.

Erin Snyder is a Seminar Leader with Landmark Worldwide, a personal professional growth training company. They help people create breakthroughs in their personal and professional lives through the Landmark Forum. As a fellow graduate of the Forum, Susan interviews Erin to discuss how the Landmark Forum impacts leadership development in its users.

So what is Landmark? “It’s an experience like no other,” says Erin, “like skydiving. It’s experiential!” Through the interactive multi-day program, the Forum leader guides attendees to discover new ways of engaging with different aspects of their lives. Unlike New Year’s resolutions, the programs help you stick to your new goals and allow for real change. Landmark is different because of the methodology used. Unlike reading a book or attending a normal leadership seminar, Landmark encourages non-informative, personal discoveries. Instead of informing users of new tips and tricks, attendees go through a personal journey that allows them to break through problems.

The program changes the way you listen, and this is crucial to one’s leadership. 

If you’re interested in saving time through the way you listen, Landmark has plenty of programs to help. Go to http://www.landmarkworldwide.com to get more information on the programs and consulting arm, Vanto Group, named by Forbes as one of America’s best management consulting firms.

Make sure you subscribe to The Enlightened Executive for more insight on how your personal evolution can spark your leadership (r)evolution!

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