OFW Journals (OFW Stories on the News) and Some OFW Employment, Career & Business Tips

LOOK AND LISTEN
By Dr. John C. Maxwell

The main boardroom at my office is an odd shape. The large conference table in the room was designed for the space, which means that it's also an odd shape.

Architecturally speaking, the table is a beautiful piece of furniture. The craftsmanship that went into it is readily apparent. And I suppose it makes good use of the space in the room. But the first time I saw it, I knew immediately that a leader didn't build it.

Let me explain. When I sit in a meeting where important conversations are taking place and decisions are being made, I want to see every one of the people visually. I want them in front of me. I want to see their eyes. I want to watch their actions. I want to read their body language.

At this table, I can't do that.

If I look to the left when seated at the table, I see the back of somebody's head. That drives me absolutely crazy in meetings because I can't see that person's facial expressions. The design of the table makes it impossible for me to engage in an activity that is critical to successful leadership: observation.

In the landmark business tome In Search of Excellence, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman addressed this when they wrote about "management by walking around." Their point was that the best managers don't lead by staying holed up in their offices. They walk around. They see what's happening. They take the temperature of their organizations by observing their people at work.

This is what legendary basketball coach John Wooden did to help his players improve their shooting percentages. "I observed [as they practiced], I watched them," he said. "And when I found their spot, I went out there and drew a circle and said, ‘This is where you shoot from; this is where you make your shots.' "

Wooden wasn't "leading" as he did this. He wasn't casting a vision or implementing a strategy. He was simply watching. But what he observed enabled him to help his players achieve their full potential, which is what leadership is all about.

When it comes to bringing out the best in others, observation goes hand in hand with another key leadership function: listening. To illustrate this, I'm going to draw from the experience of Captain Michael Abrashoff, former commander of the highly acclaimed USS Benfold. In his excellent book, It's Your Ship, Abrashoff tells how listening "aggressively" helped him transform the worst ship in the Pacific fleet into the top ship in the entire Navy.

"It didn't take me long," he writes, "to realize that my young crew was smart, talented, and full of good ideas that frequently came to nothing because no one in charge had ever listened to them. … I decided that my job was to listen aggressively and to pick up every good idea the crew had for improving the ship's operation.

"Some traditionalists might consider this heresy, but it actually is just common sense," Abrashoff continues. "After all, the people who do the nuts-and-bolts work on the ship constantly see things that the officers don't. It seemed to me only prudent for the captain to work hard at seeing the ship through the crew's eyes."

I love that last statement. Great leaders are unique because they have the ability to see farther and broader and bigger than their people. At the same time, however, they also have the ability to see through the eyes of their people. I've often said that the best leaders have two sets of eyes—they have leaders' eyes and they have followers' eyes. And you develop followers' eyes by doing exactly what I've been writing about—observing and listening aggressively.

You may have never seen or heard the words listen and aggressive used together. I hadn't before I read Abrashoff's book. I've heard of aggressive talkers and aggressive doers, but never aggressive listeners. And yet, it's a fitting way to describe the kind of listening that enhances productivity and builds a culture of empowerment.

When you listen aggressively, you're actively engaged in the conversation. You're not just hearing words; you're reading all the signs I wish I could see when I'm sitting at our odd-shaped onference table—body language, facial expressions, etc. As a result, you absorb far more than you would if you were distracted or in a hurry. You also send a strong message that you value the person with whom you're communicating.

Buckminster Fuller, the 20th century inventor, mathematician and futurist, once noted that, "By doing nothing more than observing and acting upon the obvious, a person can change the world." Your goal might not be to change the entire world, but you can make a positive impact in your area of influence by closely observing and aggressively listening to your people.

Shared by Nida L. via OFW Connect Group