This month the focus in on leading by example.  I think you can agree that the world needs more true leaders.  People that are worth following not because they have a title but because they set a high standard for others by how they live each day.  This week is focusing on the importance of learning how to actively listen.

 Quote

"The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them." - Ralph G. Nichols

There's an adage that says, "You have one mouth and two ears, use them proportionately".  We are taught to speak but given very little instruction on how to listen.  Active listening means you are being attentive to what the other person is saying and not just waiting for your turn to talk.  There is so much division in the nation and world right now it would get a lot better if people would just listen to each other.

Today's Coaching Challenge

What is your communication style?  Do you judge others without understanding why they feel the way they do? Are you using the time someone is talking to decide what you are going to say next?

No judgment here, we are probably all guilty of this from time to time.  Remember that you don't learn anything when you are talking it's only when you are listening with an open mind that new information comes in.  

Action to take

If you find yourself speaking with someone you don't agree with instead of going to judgment or getting defensive, ask them to "Tell me more" or "I'd like to know more about that".  They will appreciate your interest, it will open them up, and you just might learn something new. 

Always supporting you,                                                                                                                                                                                                  Jan