What separates a good leader from a great one?
According to Avi Dan, founder of Avidan Strategies and a Forbes contributor: “A key skill of managers is actually the ability to talk less and listen more. Leaders who seek advice from underlings, even very junior staff, make better, more informed decisions. Colonels and Generals, whether in the military or marketing, are often so far removed from the line of engagement that, without listening to front-line personnel, their decisions are made in a vacuum. Most managers, though, are not natural-born listeners . It’s an acquired skill that is enabled by another critical managerial behavior – asking questions. Anyone can learn to ask more questions. The best managers practice and learn which questions make the biggest impact, and when and how to apply them.”
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I completely agree with this post. Many people believe that good leaders have to be bold and outspoken but listening is an equally important skill. Higher up officials have to be willing to listen to their employees to really get a feel of what is happening internally in their company and where it is heading in the future. Maybe companies should find a way to evaluate listening skills during the hiring process.
I definitely agree with this post because employees are usually educated on the functions of their job and company and can offer innovative ideas to help supplement decision making if the manager listens and is open to new ideas. Not every employee will have groundbreaking ideas for the company but it opens up the possibility for new ideas to come into play.
This post is completely accurate. If a manager does not ask his employees their opinions or views on a certain topic the company will not grow. It is a combined effort of everyone involved that make companies successful or not successful. Everyone brings their own unique ideas to the table and if a manager is able to ask questions and learn from those below him, the company will be better off. Listening is such an important skill to have and to develop. In my opinion, it is the most important and should be praised in the workplace.