LISTEN, LEARN, AND LEAD

By Dennis Sullivan
Chairman and CEO

As we embark on a new year, time for reflection and looking ahead is welcomed. There will be new self-help books out on topics such as strategies for succeeding in a difficult economy, how to grow your business, and so on. Well, here is some simple advice for the new year—listen, learn, and lead. I came across this catchy tag line a few months ago, and it struck a chord. It is simple but reinforces some of the basic principles many successful people follow.

Listen first! Whether business-related or personal, there is always something to learn if you listen to people. The sooner we realize we don’t have all the answers, the more we begin to listen to others. Don’t get me wrong … I suggest you apply a good, old-fashioned filter because there are plenty of people who just like to hear themselves talk—losing a wonderful chance to learn from others. Adding input to a subject you know well, or you have a passing knowledge of, is a great way to increase your own personal data warehouse. The art of listening is critical in developing a successful organization.

Learning from others requires good listening skills followed by the ability to evaluate what you heard—ask for more information, process that information, and possibly modify your own views. When you are the subject-matter expert on a topic, understanding other points of view allows you to round out your expertise. Listen and learn from peers and subordinates. With a broader knowledge base, you will be able to overcome unanticipated obstacles.

This brings us to leading. Leadership will be difficult if you haven’t listened to alternative opinions or picked up the key points in others’ perspectives. Understanding different points of view requires you to invest some time in fully understanding a business problem. Doing so will help you further develop your knowledge of a given subject and better position yourself to lead a small group or entire organization towards a solution.