Every new leader could benefit from the anatomical lesson of having two ears and one mouth. Listening is one of the most powerful skills that a leader can possess. In his classic work,  Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey described the power in Habit #5 as “seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

Through the process of coaching many new leaders or leaders in new situations, I have developed a list of three questions that exploits the power of listening. When leaders find themselves in a new role or new organization, I suggest that they take the time to ask the following three questions:

1. What are the three most important things that we do in this organization?
2. What are the two most important things that we should be doing, but are not?
3. Why are we not doing them?

I ask the leaders to talk to as many employees as possible, at all levels throughout the organization. I also request that they take notes of the responses, obviously and copiously. The power of this process is threefold:

• It demonstrates that the new leader is interested in what their team thinks.
• It provides an opportunity for the leader to gauge alignment through the organization about what matters most.
• It reinforces that the leader will take a listen first posture and not presume to know what the organization is about (before they actually do).

So its as simple as that. Three questions, three big benefits.

Following this road map will enable a new leader to connect with their team, utilizing their two ears before engaging their one mouth.

First off, I promise that this is not an anatomy lesson.

Rather, it is a discussion about leading. Or more precisely, a recommendation about how to lead in ways that genuinely connect with and move others to action. After all, the essence of leadership is to inspire people to take action; actions which they may not imagine themselves taking, but for the impetus from their leader. I contend that this inspiration rarely, if ever, makes its way through the frontal lobes of the recipient. The more common, direct and effective route is through the viscera of those being led.

Leadership is felt more than it is understood. The brain is a great organ to leverage in the dissemination of information, to teach, train and develop new capability. But for inspiration to be felt requires the participation of different organs, specifically the heart and gut. We process inspiration, not through our heads, but in the core of our being, literally.

In the cavity that contains our heart and gut we feel the impact of those moments that move us to take action…quickly and decisively. We language the visceral impetus in a variety of ways. The speech was “heartfelt.” Their reaction was “gut level.” But the test is always the same, you know it when you feel it in your gut.

The implication on leadership is clear. If you need to call your team to bold action, to inspire them to do what they would not otherwise do, they must feel it.  In their viscera. Too many leaders try to lead their people with facts, logic, charts and graphs, through the frontal lobes. Unless you are leading the debate team, it is time to shift your leadership focus from their heads to their guts.

I have always found it curious how Europeans describe “making decisions” as “taking decisions.” For the longest time, I attributed this difference to nothing more than translational noise in the channel. But lately, I have come to appreciate a deeper meaning behind this difference, one with ramifications to anyone with leadership responsibility. (more…)