Something in the news over the past few months has made me reflect a lot on my friend Emilio’s book.
The Listening Leader was published by Pearson in 2017. Emilio Galli Zugaro based his book on his own experience. As global head of communications for the insurer, Allianz, he had seen a lot of leaders at work and had done a lot of leading himself. Emilio also cleverly added perceptive comments from his twenty – something daughter, Clementina, to provide an all-round commentary on leading and being led.
Central to my friend’s message is that when leaders say ‘I communicate’, what they usually mean is ‘I tell’. Taking this approach, they and their organizations miss out on all the benefits that would come from properly listening to their colleagues and others.
Whatever frustrations you may have with our politicians who tirelessly ‘transmit’ but seemingly never ‘receive’, how good a listener are you?