Why great leaders are also great listeners

If you look closely enough, you can find business and leadership lessons in just about any environment—including the world of music! 

I recently got the opportunity to listen to a presentation to an audience of HR professionals conducted by Eldon Blackman, a musician and choral director. He shared his experience with a young blind woman who wanted to sing in one of the choirs that he was leading. 

She walked in with dark shades and her arm interlocked with a friend who helped her to navigate the hall in which auditions were being held. When she informed Blackman that she wanted to join the choir, he said “yes.” Being blind, of course, doesn’t in any way influence a person’s vocal cords or their talent as a singer. 

Blackman did have some concerns about how the woman (let’s call her Sally) would fare, not being able to see his gestures and instructions to the rest of the choir. To his shock, once Sally joined the choir, she never missed a beat and integrated herself just as well as the other choir members. She always started on cue along with the other choir members, and synchronized in volume and tempo.

After a few rehearsals, Blackman asked Sally how she was able to align her voice with the rest of the choir. Sally smiled knowingly as if she was wondering how long it would take Dr. Blackman to broach the topic. Then she replied, “Sir, I just listen to the breathing of the person on my left and on my right. When I hear them take a deep breath, I know you’ve instructed the choir to start singing.” 

Hearing the breathing patterns

That wasn’t all Sally heard. By listening to the breathing patterns of the persons closest to her, she was able to adjust the level of her decibels when singing. Short breaths by her colleagues meant that the choir instructor was signaling for a softer decibel. Deeper breaths indicated that an increase in decibels. 

As Blackman wrapped up talking about his experience with Sally, he challenged the audience in front of him to “lead like you’re blind.” Great leadership demands we listen closely to the (metaphorical) breathing patterns of those around them (including employees, customers, vendors, and other stakeholders) and by appropriately adjusting their responses, actions, and decibels based on the needs of the people around them. 

Without a doubt, a common element of great leadership is the ability of leaders to really listen to those around them—starting with employees, then radiating outward to customers, vendors, investors, and the wider public.

These “Listening Leaders” use a range of tools to tune into the medley of conversations that are occurring all around them. To the untrained ear, this medley may, at first, sound like a cacophony of voices. But, if you listen closely to the conversations taking place, you will soon be able to decipher and recognize every sound, from off-key expressions of disillusion to overt expressions of content. By fostering an environment where all stakeholders feel heard and valued, “Listening Leaders” can nurture a culture of transparency and trust, laying the foundation to enhance employee engagement, heighten customer experience, and strengthen financial stability and growth. 

“Listening Leaders” use many tools to tap into the breathing patterns of their organization. They curate the best combination of these tools or “listening posts“ that are appropriate for their organizations’ size, industry, budget, and other factors. Some of these tools are listed below.

Digital Engagement Platforms

There are several online platforms such as 15Five, Officevibe, and WorkTango that allow employees to submit their ideas and share their experiences with their supervisors and recognize their peers for a job well done. These platforms create a digital trail that business leaders can follow directly back to the source of the experience being shared. 

Messaging/Group Chats

If you don’t have the budget for a digital listening post but still want the benefits of one, you can go the route of a free (but still effective) solution like WhatsApp to empower team members to share their experiences, stories, and perspectives with their colleagues and leaders, and allow leaders to listen in to, and participate in, these conversations. Messaging app Slack also has a free version that is most suitable for small companies. If you outgrow the free version, you can opt to use one of the app’s paid plans. 

Departmental/Town Hall Meetings

If you’re looking for something with a more human touch, nothing beats well-planned, productive, and highly engaged town hall meetings. If you have the type of culture where employees feel empowered to speak up and share their ideas and experiences freely, you can opt for regularly scheduled departmental or town hall meetings. 

Informal Huddles

If your organization has a much more casual environment and formal town hall meetings just aren’t your thing, you can use informal one-on-one huddles or unscheduled team huddles to ensure that you are up-to-date on the issues that matter most to your employees. This is a version of what many business leaders refer to as “Management by Walking Around,” where the leadership leave the “safety” of their office and hear for themselves what’s happening in all corners of the workplace. 

Social Listening Tools

Specialized tools like Brand 24, BrandMentions, Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Sendible offer a range of features that do a good job of identifying when your brand is being talked about online, and providing analytics and sentiment analysis, which will allow you to track your online brand mentions and participate in the online conversation around your brand.

Website Feedback Forms

If your company has a website, one low-hanging “listening post” fruit could be to have your web developer set up a feedback page or a “contact us” page where customers can share their experiences about your brand. 

Customer Experience Hotline

Another way to collect information about your brand is to have an easily accessible customer experience hotline where, instead of filling out a form, customers can speak directly to a real live human! Many customers prefer this approach (compared to a feedback form) because it is more personal, and they can receive an on-the-spot reaction or response on behalf of the brand.

Chatbots

With the explosive rise in technology (especially Artificial Intelligence), it would be remiss not to include chatbots in this list. Chatbots are like digital assistants that are embedded into your website where customers can ask questions, receive support, and even rate their experiences with your brand—all without leaving your website.

If you want to be an inspiring “Listening Leader,” one of the first steps to take is to identify the best possible listening tools you can use to tap into the conversations taking place around your brand. It is only when you can accurately listen to the “breathing patterns” of your organization and your industry that you can take the necessary actions to respond appropriately and build a harmonious organization.