Want Better Communication? Focus on the Listening Part.

“I used to be the answer man. Now I’ve learned to listen. It is amazing what you learn when you open your mind,” said Gary, chief financial officer of a U.S. firm.

As Gary explains, listening is a very powerful leadership strategy. When leaders are genuinely interested in what others are seeing, thinking, and feeling — not as a way to get buy-in, but because others have information and insights they need — they make better decisions. They break the cycle of endless repetition and predictable responses that slows real communication to a snail’s pace. And they are more likely to get the buy-in they seek, because true dialogue helps everyone see the merits of a plan. Indeed, every major breakthrough I have witnessed — where teams, colleagues, or customers and suppliers get on the same page — has happened when people took the time for more open, balanced, and reciprocal conversation.

So, what gets in the way?

In a new business post at strategy + business, Why Leaders Who Listen Achieve Breakthroughs, I take a deeper look at the outdated mental models that can inadvertently lead us to focus too much on our message, rather than true two-way conversation. For those who want to amp up their listening and initiate more effective conversations, I offer six practical strategies.

See what you think! I look forward to hearing your thoughts or reflections.

All the best,

Elizabeth Doty