Leadership development is one of the most important skills a working individual should build on if they intend to improve their standing in the working world. I believe that leadership is really the ability to convince and win people over.
photo credit: The U.S. Army
I was in my reservist training recently and a senior commander commented that once he went into the higher echelons of leadership, it was no longer about rank, but about the ability to persuade people, including your superiors about the merits of your plans and ideas.
So, I recently reflected upon the working relationship I had with some leaders and I realized some interesting things about good leaders in relation to those who were not effective.
Problem #1 – The inability to listen.
Ok, I don’t mean to appear like I’m giving a motherhood statement because I really want to explore the real root cause of the inability to listen. I believe everyone has their own point of view, right? It is when people hold on to their point of view alone without enabling other people to understand the merits of such view that makes a difference.
When do you feel like you have been listened to? It’s when you feel understood and possibly accepted – as a person. Even if your point of view is rejected, but the other party is able to understand the positive intent and merit of your point, and be able to show you how the alternative point of view is more advantageous, a rational person wouldn’t mind the rejection of that point of view.
The only time this counts as a problem is when the person you’re convincing is emotional. All the more so, leaders need to have the ability to dive into more than just the logical rhetoric behind a conversation. They need to understand the psychology of individuals.
…TBC…
Stuart Tan, MBA, SDCG, BA (Hons), is a Licensed NLP Trainer since 1997, a trained counselor and therapist since 1999, and a leadership, team performance and change management consultant. He certifies NLP Practitioners and Master Practitioners through a competency based approach. He is also an executive coach and life coach.
Contact him for information about his corporate seminars, certification workshops and coaching services.