When I on-boarded new staff as a General Manager I would tell them that we are a team and I am as accountable to them as they are to me. I said that if at any time they felt that there was a contradiction between my words and my actions they were encouraged to come and talk to me about it, and even challenge me. I would tell them that in the process one of two things would happen: either I would learn something or they would learn something. Either way we would become more effective as a team, by ensuring our words [understanding] our actions were aligned.
There is a reason why we have two ears and one mouth—the simple principle is to listen twice as much as we speak. Here’s why;
•Speaking engages us; listening engages others.
•Speaking demonstrates how much we know; listening demonstrates how much others know.
•Speaking shows how much we care about ourselves; listening shows how much we care about others.
Leaders understand that greater results can be achieved when people work as a team. No doubt they learned this principle by listening to other leaders who went before them and proved it to be true.
Herb Mast is Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.