Reflections on a Career - 3

Whether in business or in the church-world I have found that most “leaders” and leadership groups fail to use one of the most valuable practices available, a practice which would involve others, encourage others, and lead to problem-solving, creativity, and personal, professional, and economic growth - and that practice is listening to others. I have seldom had a problem which my team could not solve, whether in business or in the church-world or in other organizations.

This phenomenon is usually without regard to economic or educational background. It is usually without regard to levels of verbal or written communication - people can be drawn out and their thoughts can be clarified.  I have mined many a treasure out of men and women on the lower rungs of organizational ladders. Or better yet, I have been the recipient of many a treasure those folks have brought to me from the depth of who they are and their experience and their desire to contribute. They have done the work, I’ve just asked questions and waited.

I recently heard the owner of a company describe an “Aha moment”; while I was thankful the person had the moment, I also thought that had the person listened to some of the lowest people in the organization that the “Aha moment” would not have been years in coming. And then there is the question as to whether the moment will continue to live, and whether it will live within the organization. One person cannot sustain a “moment” - and “moments” coming from the “top” are often not sustained - but a synergistic team, a group - who is allowed into the creative process, who are invited to participate in the ownership of the process - well now, then the “moment” might very well become a way of life, a way of thinking, a way of doing, a way of treating others.

But of course then leadership, those in “authority” must listen, must frankly shut-up, must not only lay aside egos and trappings of power, but must actually value and appreciate others, must actually believe and think that others have something to add - that they might even have an “Aha moment” to add, might even have something critical to add.

I have never understood why we need to pay “experts” thousands of dollars to tell us what people in organizations (including churches and seminaries) already know - sure there can be times when outsiders have valuable perspectives, but unless the DNA of an organization undergoes internal and organic change the money paid to the expert is wasted and the time spent expecting the expert to do the work of leadership is for nought. Could it be we use experts so we don’t have to listen to others within our organizations?

Listening takes time, and we have too many time-saving devices to take time. We are too focused on the “now” to take time for others. We plant annuals but don’t have time to plant perennials. We cannot envision a perennial garden. This is true of businesses, this is true of churches - this is true of society.

The people I have worked with who have most influenced me are those who have listened to me and drawn me out. Often I was too self-centered to know what they were doing, but I am thankful they took time - there were only a few of them, but they made more of a difference than they could imagine. It takes time and attention to grow a perennial garden, its take time to grow relationships, it takes time to grow a people. Maybe some of those folks in my life were intentional, maybe some were just naturally the way they were - it doesn’t matter - they made a difference.

As I said, over the years my teams have usually been able to solve any problem I’ve given them. And even if they haven’t always arrived at a perfect solution, they’ve grown individually and as a group and have been better positioned to creatively tackle the next problem, and the next, and to identify vision and opportunity.

If we would only learn to listen...