Author: Rick

  • LISTEN AND GENERATE GREATNESS

    LISTEN AND GENERATE GREATNESS

    What does it mean to practice listening greatness? There are three main factors: First and foremost, great listeners choose to improve their listening attitudes and refine specific listening skills. They consistently and systematically focus on the multiple intents, thoughts, desires, and concerns of others. They project energy in the commitment to listen fully to others.…

  • CULTIVATE THE COURAGE TO LISTEN

    CULTIVATE THE COURAGE TO LISTEN

    Listening Leaders confront conflicts by consciously cultivating courage. In environments of unending conflict, effective listeners meet the harshness of words and actions of others with courageous acts and actions of listening. Although most leaders remember the old adage: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” most listeners also recognize…

  • GIVE THE GIFT OF LISTENING

    GIVE THE GIFT OF LISTENING

    J.W. Marriott, Jr. is Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Marriott International, Inc., the largest lodging company in the world.  In this excerpt,  he captures the essence of listening.  When was the last time you sat down with another human being and listened — truly listened — to what he or she had…

  • LISTEN WITH COMMITMENT

    Jack Lowe Jr. is the former CEO of Dallas-based TDIndustries, one of America’s premier contracting and facility service companies. Jack understands the value of listening commitment. Rated by FORTUNE magazine as one of the TOP 100 Best Companies to Work for in America”. TDIndustries has consistently been in the top ten since 1998. When asked,…

  • DONT’ GET FURIOUS – GET CURIOUS

    DONT’ GET FURIOUS – GET CURIOUS

    When you want to hear from others (and you should because it adds to the pool of meaning), the best way to get at the truth is by making it safe for them to express the stories that are moving them to silence or violence. This means that at the very moment when most people…

  • CREDIBLE LEADERS LISTEN AND LEARN

    CREDIBLE LEADERS LISTEN AND LEARN

    Impressive listening skills have been identified as one common characteristic of credible leaders. A willingness to listen carefully to constituents and, if necessary, to hear the bad news keeps leaders from being isolated from critical feedback. When they can get information from a variety of sources, across functions and levels, they are able to know…

  • LISTEN TO YOUR ECHO

    LISTEN TO YOUR ECHO

    A son and his father were walking on the mountains. Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: “AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!” To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: “AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!” Curious, he yells: “Who are you?” He receives the answer: “Who are you?” Angered at the response, he screams: “Coward!” He receives the…

  • BE UNIQUE – LISTEN

    BE UNIQUE – LISTEN

    One of our very able leaders recently was made the head of a large, important, and difficult to administer public institution. After a short time he realized he was not happy with the way things were going. His approach to the problem was a bit unusual. For three months he stopped reading newspapers and listening…

  • THE COURAGE TO SLOW DOWN WHEN LISTENING

    THE COURAGE TO SLOW DOWN WHEN LISTENING

    N. Williams has demonstrated what it takes to be a Listening Leader with his following story: “This week it struck me how guilty I am of getting wrapped up in the noise and chaos of over communication and allowing this to get us off course. I was about to go into a meeting, my mind…

  • DRUCKER’S RULE

    DRUCKER’S RULE

    Peter Drucker, the Father of Modern Management, identified the eight practices of effective executives, threw in a bonus practice: “This one is so important that I will elevate it to a rule: Listen first, speak last.” The essence of leadership is to get results in a way that inspires trust. Although there are many behaviors…