Listen. Learn. Grow
Great leaders must be effective communicators. That means they have to know how to speak and write clearly—which all begins with LISTENING. Most of us don’t think of listening as a communication skill, but it’s one of the most important.
The best leaders are skilled at listening—here’s how they do it:
1. Michelle Buck, CEO, The Hershey’s Company
As the Hershey Company's first female CEO in its legendary 125-year history, Michele Buck symbolizes the qualities of a listening leader.
She is known to call herself a “Chief Energy Officer” in reference to her opinion that her role is to inspire and bind the energy of the Hershey Company’s employees in reaching towards the company’s overall vision and goals.
Learnings From Michelle
They listen with rapt attention. Most people like to speak, but it’s far more rewarding to listen with your full attention. You retain more, and people talk more—because the sincerest form of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.
2. Sheryl Sandberg, COO at Facebook
Acclaimed author of the New York Times best-seller, ‘Lean In’, Sheryl Sandberg understands that the key to being a better leader is being accepting towards feedback. The Facebook COO regularly asks colleagues: “What could I do better?” and makes a point to thank them, often publicly, for voicing their honest or firm opinions.
Learnings From Sheryl
Lead from within: When you really listen well, you’ll be able to engage more deeply with your team, colleagues and customers, and that is the sign of great leadership.
3. Sundar Pichai, CEO at Google
As Google’s Chief Executive Officer, Sundar Pichai is no stranger to meetings, as you’d expect. What’s interesting, however, is how Pichai’s empathetic and thoughtful leadership style is reflected in his behaviour during meetings.
According to Business Insider, he has a habit of quietly listening to everyone on his team. Once everyone else is finished speaking, he’ll often throw out "an idea that could work for everyone".
Learnings from Sundar
Listen without interrupting. Most leaders have a genuine desire to be helpful, so it’s always tempting to butt in when someone’s speaking. But when you plunge in to be helpful, you’re actually robbing them of the chance to fully express themselves and solve the problem on their own. Instead of rushing to respond when someone else speaks, try to zero in on what they’re actually saying. You can always offer help later if it’s still needed.
4. Satya Nadella, CEO at Microsoft
When Satya Nadella took over as CEO of Microsoft in 2014, one of the first things he did was transform the meeting culture. In an interview with Wall Street Journal in 2015, Nadella shared his simple three-rule method for better meetings and it looks like this
Learnings from Satya
Listen to understand. Most people listen with the intent to reply in the front of their mind. But true leaders know that in order to empathize and connect with others, you have to first understand them, and that understanding comes from good listening.
