Thursday January 16, 2014 #594
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”
~Winston Churchill
When I think about the characteristics of strong leaders I have worked with or for, one key element is the ability to know when to speak up and when to keep quiet and listen. Average to poor leaders tend to favor one or the other, either blabbing to excess or else never standing up and speaking out when it is necessary. The next time you are in a meeting or even a one on one meeting, be conscious of your own tendency. Ideally, you will mostly listen but interject and/or speak up when your point of view is necessary to move something important forward, or to support a colleague. Likely though, you will find you are talking too much or too little. There is usually room to improve and to do so will make a positive difference to your effectiveness and to your career.