Listening - A Leader’s Superpower

When you think about attributes of an empowered nonprofit leader, what comes to mind? 

Effective decision-making

Motivate and inspire

Excellent communication skills

Delegation

Healthy boundaries

And so on…

And these are obviously good qualities to have. But there are a lot of less obvious and perhaps under-valued attributes and skills that are just as important. In the last blog post Richard introduced the idea that women are highly effective leaders, and one of the key characteristics that make many women leaders successful is listening.

“The difference in leadership styles between men and women starts with listening. Not just listening to form your answer, but really listening, learning, reflecting, then implementing a plan that incorporates the best of everyone’s ideas.” 

Source: http://www.calipermedia.calipercorp.com/whitepapers/us/Qualities-in-Women-Leaders.pdf

I don’t know about you, but that’s not what I was expecting. There is a lot of research to back up this claim, and evidence that listening may be more important now than ever in the workplace. In the rapidly approaching post-COVID world, active listening, empathy, and emotional intelligence will gain greater importance as employees and leaders continue to deal with the fallout. 

Source: https://www.betterup.com/blog/the-importance-of-listening-as-a-leader-in-the-digital-era

This information is not meant to overwhelm you or make you think you have more to work on! You probably are already doing this well. If anything, it's important to be aware of what you’re doing right and perhaps what you can improve or build on for your own professional and personal development. Sometimes going back to the basics is key. After reading Richard’s blog and exploring some of the research, I decided to go back and review what “active” listening is. 

Below are some features of active listening:

Neutral and nonjudgmental

Patient (periods of silence are not "filled")

Verbal and nonverbal feedback (e.g., smiling, eye contact, leaning in, mirroring)

Asking questions

Reflecting back what is said

Asking for clarification

Summarizing

Source: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-active-listening-3024343

I found this list to be a great refresher - and hopefully you do too! As empowered leaders we need to be mindful of how we communicate. In this time of remote-ness, listening and reflecting back are important skills. I find those non-verbals to be extra important when interacting virtually! So who knew listening could be a superpower! 

This article has some great additional information on the importance of active listening and how you can work to improve your skills in your personal and professional lives! https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-active-listening-3024343