What is the The Most Important Leadership Skill?

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 10:52:54 -0400

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The Most Important Leadership Skill
By Brigette Hyacinth
Director & Founder of MBA Caribbean Organization

Do you think that this is the most important leadership skill (why or why not)?

Listening is the most powerful skill a leader can master. Good listening skills in this digital era due to information overload and shortened attention span is fast becoming an endangered species.

Science has demonstrated that hearing impacts how we walk and that even our balance is influenced by how well we hear. So what we hear is crucial to how we live. The act of listening marks the first step in communication. In Hebrew thought, the seat of wisdom or of intelligence is located not in the brain but in the ears.

The Ear is divided into Three Parts Identical with 3 Levels of Listening:

Level 1. The External ear: Listening with the head - Passive Listening. The listener is concerned with processing of information.

Level 2. The Middle ear: Listening with the head and body - Active Listening. It involves paying and making nonverbal cues, appropriate to what is being said. It’s listening both mentally and physically.

“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said.” ~Peter Drucker

Level 3. The Inner ear: Listening with the heart, head and body - Intuitive Listening. It calls for wisdom. This is crucial to gaining a complete understanding of situations. Without this full understanding, one can easily waste everyone’s time by solving the wrong problem or merely addressing a symptom, not the root cause.

Paul Bennett, the Chief Creative Officer at IDEO said the one piece of advice he wished he had known in his early twenties, was to focus on listening. Effective leaders learn that it is important to put aside distractions, to stop multi-tasking, and be truly “present” with people when speaking with them.

Employees want to be heard and they want to be respected. Listening transmits that kind of respect and builds trust. This leads to more motivated and committed team members.

Intuitive Listening and Self - Homing pigeons long have been known to fly hundreds of miles a day and arrive at their destination with amazing accuracy. In order to navigate, they use infra-sound, low-level background noise in the atmosphere to fly by “images” they hear, practically creating acoustic maps of the environment. Yet even the best homing pigeons at times have become disoriented, never returning to their starting point. The worst incident happened in England, when twenty thousand birds (valued at more than six hundred thousand dollars) never came back to their lofts.

That’s why it is important to never leave home without your moral compass. When faced with ethical dilemma, it serves as a navigator to steer you in the right direction. The temptations to take shortcuts can be overwhelming. Even the smartest of leaders have become disoriented and lost their way, never being able to get back on track. Listening includes listening to that "still inner small voice". If something is wrong, just don’t try to justify it. Even if you get away with it for a time, eventually the piper must be paid.

To achieve balance it is also recommended that you ingest The 3 Pills every Leader should take: Stillness, Silence and Solitude. Your ability to absorb crucial information decreases due to increased pressure, noise and demands. Distancing oneself from the distractions and taking the time to pause and reflect is essential to clear the mind of clutter.

It is only through silence and stillness that we can come to our thoughts in any meaningful way and from that spring take action we think best. Sadly we have banished solitude. There is no time to think, alone, intimately with who we are at our core." ~Brian Tolle Partner –The re-wired group
The brain acts as a computer, analyzing constant signals being sent its way. Based upon the data received from the inner ear, the brain then sends messages to the muscles of the body to maintain balance. Any disturbance in inner ear results in balance difficulties.

Organizations can succeed or fail according to the quality of their interactions. Poor communication comes with a high price tag. It accounts for businesses losing millions of dollars each year. That’s why it’s important for leaders to master the skill of “Lead with Listening.”

I would like to challenge you for the next week to make a concerted effort to listen more than you speak, practise intuitive listening and just see the benefits.

Here’s my other latest Leadership Post you may also be interested in:

Response by SN Victoria Glover made Jul 19 at 2015 11:03 AM

SN Victoria Glover — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 11:03:35 -0400

Listening is a skill many do not have. You can learn alot by listening, and help when needed. I believe it is important. You can hear but not listen. Many things can be learned and handled simply by listening.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 19 at 2015 11:04 AM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 11:04:43 -0400

COL Mikel J. Burroughs great article! It is true that listening at the right level is very important, in all aspects of our lives. I often tell my son as husband that just because they hear me, it doesn't mean they are listening! (Or that trash would be outside by now! Lol)

I do think listening is an important part of leadership. I don't know if it is the MOST important, but I do know that other aspects of what have been great leaders in my past, could not exist without attentive and engaged active listening. Perhaps, it is a single quality apparent across multiple aspects of leadership.

Truly caring about your people, wanting your team to succeed, and being there when times get tough help to build trust and encourage a team to want to work with and for you. Being genuine goes a long way. And I think we can say that it all starts with listening. Knowing what challenges your team faces, what their fears are as you encounter obstacles, and what personal goals you can help them achieve along the way can only be discovered if you listen, with your heart, and then act accordingly.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jul 19 at 2015 11:08 AM

PO1 John Miller — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 11:08:02 -0400

What about those of us who have reduced hearing (I get 10% for tinnitus and 0% VA disability for hearing loss)? LOL.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jul 19 at 2015 11:19 AM

PO1 John Miller — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 11:19:39 -0400

In all seriousness though, I'm kind of with CW2 Lindsey Muller on this. I hate to say that one attribute is more important than another in a well-rounded leader.

As SN Victoria Glover said: people often don't "listen." They may hear you but they don't "listen" to you. It's been my experience that often while you are speaking, those you are speaking to are thinking of what they're going to say next instead of "listening" to you. Or they respond to what you just said but they totally misunderstand what you are saying.

I often go through this with my wife, but I can compare it to any number of people from my Navy days. I will often get interrupted while speaking to either ask me questions on what I'm talking about (just frigging let me finish speaking before you ask questions, maybe I will answer them before you even need to ask) or start talking about something completely different.

Or only hearing part of what I'm saying: "Our left turn is coming up so you need to get into the left turn lane." "I'm already in the left lane!" "I said left TURN lane, TURN LANE. Not the regular lane. LISTEN..."
Or ask me questions about how my day was, something around the house and then not listening to my answer. As a result, asking me the same exact question after I finish talking.

I have self-diagnosed myself as having Asperger Syndrom, a mild (low end) form of Autism Spectrum Disorder (my daughter is Autistic and as a result of my research I've learned that many people have forms of ASD and don't even realize it). I bring this up because listening for me is a very intensive process. I cannot focus on multiple questions, meaning that if you're asking me something I need it to be one question at a time. Let me answer one question before you start in on the next. I've found that most people are like this, no matter how much they say they can "multitask." ONE QUESTION AT A TIME AND GIVE ME TIME TO ANSWER IT.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Jul 19 at 2015 11:50 AM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 11:50:00 -0400

An interesting article, but like 2ndLt Matthew Johnson I find it to be an essential skill, but not the MOST important skill.

While with MSTP, we taught Information Management, and often it had to be a "Delegated Task" for Commanders (Leaders), because there is just too much Information/Intelligence. A leader cannot "Listen" to everything. It's just not possible, therefore he must rely on others, and trim the fat so to speak.

It's hard for me to come up with a single "skill" which is most important, though certain skills are most important at certain points.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Jul 19 at 2015 12:03 PM

SSgt Alex Robinson — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 12:03:47 -0400

There are several skills. Work ethic... Lead from the front. Empathy... Care about your people. Listen... You don't know it all, your subordinates may have better ideas that contribute to success. Be humble... Humility is important.

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made Jul 19 at 2015 12:08 PM

SGM Mikel Dawson — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 12:08:45 -0400

I think there is a different for each of us. We're all different and have different skills.

Response by Lt Col Timothy Parker, DBA made Jul 19 at 2015 12:51 PM

Lt Col Timothy Parker, DBA — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 12:51:57 -0400

I agree with most of the comments already made that listening is important but maybe not more important than other skills. Leading is an emotional endeavor which can be impacted by many actions, or lack thereof. Listening is just one.

That said, one could correlate the skill of listening to the concept of air superiority. Having it won't guarantee success, but not having it may make defeat more certain. Just my humble opinion.

Response by PVT Robert Gresham made Jul 19 at 2015 2:42 PM

PVT Robert Gresham — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 14:42:30 -0400

I believe that it is holding yourself to a higher standard. If you are not doing your absolute best, not leading by example, then your troops may follow you, but, in the end, they may NOT really respect you. Listening to your superiors, AND your subordinates, is just another facet of holding yourself to that higher standard.

Response by CAPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 19 at 2015 4:22 PM

CAPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 16:22:32 -0400

Inspiring others to be greater than they think they can be.

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Jul 19 at 2015 5:43 PM

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 17:43:15 -0400

I like the 4Cs, Courage, Commitment, Candor, Competence as my most important leadership skills. I used these traits to go the distance and in my current job!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 19 at 2015 5:59 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 17:59:48 -0400

There are so many skills that make up a leader it is hard to just pick one. I will have to roll like the principles of patrol and select one that implies all the others on this.

I would say character. The character of the person will really define their leadership or lack thereof. I have seen some focus on one trait so much they fail to see the big picture. I love leadership and being in it. It is one of the most dynamic experiences that you could ever have. If done right it is like a symphony. When a plan comes together it is clockwork. Nothing is better than to say what a team can do together. But if it is done wrong it sounds like a kesha song. I will leave it at that.

Response by PO3 Michael James made Jul 19 at 2015 7:53 PM

PO3 Michael James — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 19:53:20 -0400

"Most important leadership skill" ? It is commonly referred to as EXAMPLE !!.... Something our so called leaders should try !!

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 20 at 2015 12:16 AM

CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 00:16:22 -0400

Communicating to one another. My Top 3 is: 1) Communicate 2) Cooperate, 3) Coordinate. Like we say in Artillery, Move, Shoot, Communicate. JK

Response by SFC Stephen King made Jul 20 at 2015 11:12 AM

SFC Stephen King — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 11:12:06 -0400

Great article. I agree and appreciate the sharing of this information.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 28 at 2015 6:25 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 18:25:17 -0400

COL Mikel J. Burroughs This is a great piece, Sir. I think it's also important to recognize that when a person doesn't react or respond it doesn't mean they are not listening, perhaps they are thinking profoundly about what is being said and developing their response.

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made Sep 6 at 2015 9:43 PM

SPC Margaret Higgins — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 21:43:26 -0400

Godliness. After that Strength/Confidence.

Response by 1SG Bill Wayne made Sep 22 at 2015 7:56 PM

1SG Bill Wayne — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 19:56:26 -0400

The ability to read people and use there ability's. Everyone is good at something. A true leader needs to find that " Good thing " and exploit it.

Response by SPC Jeremy Harkleroad made Oct 15 at 2015 8:14 PM

SPC Jeremy Harkleroad — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 20:14:09 -0400

Always scanning your guys, checking ammo, water, etc.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Feb 23 at 2016 8:07 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 20:07:12 -0500

At the tactical level the greatest leadership skill is the courage to lead by example coupled with the ability to motivate those who follow COL Mikel J. Burroughs. The higher up the leadershiop chain you are the ability to provide strategic direction and enough guidance for your subordinates to carry out the mission with minimal additional guidance if necessary is paramount. Personal courage and ability to motivate by example is also important.

Response by PO3 Michael James made Feb 25 at 2016 3:37 PM

PO3 Michael James — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 15:37:55 -0500

COL Burroughs, Sir; I Still have to fall back on Communications.. I have to understand what is expected from me, whether I can physically do it or not.. I can Never satisfy or accomplish any mission/problem if I am unaware of a situation, and problems we face.. With knowledge of the goal, I can request additional assistance, Help/Support/direction as necessary.. I too, want to win.. Communication will ONLY help ensure success and safety for all..

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 25 at 2016 3:44 PM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 15:44:02 -0500

Strength, honor, courage, and wisdom. There is no one important, but if you must narrow this down, it would be integrity, which seems to cover them all.

Response by SSG Richard Hackwith made Feb 28 at 2016 6:24 PM

SSG Richard Hackwith — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 18:24:40 -0500

The most important leadership skill is to be able to master and to effectively utilize all the different component skills. My greatest challenge was trying to deflect as much BS as possible from my troops.

Response by SSgt Robert Marx made Mar 11 at 2016 12:05 PM

SSgt Robert Marx — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 12:05:34 -0500

I think that listening is a core leadership skill rather than the most important. True leaders must listen but they must be able to gain confidence, inspire trust, and share the agenda. True leaders are composite multi-talented managers.

Response by CPO Andy Carrillo, MS made Mar 11 at 2016 12:37 PM

CPO Andy Carrillo, MS — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 12:37:14 -0500

The reverse side of that 'listening coin' leadership skill is understanding why people follow and why they won't. I fired an employer because she wouldn't listen nor trust that any other way but hers would work--meaning she was motivated by fear. I listened to my inner ear and led myself to self-employment.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Mar 11 at 2016 1:15 PM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 13:15:20 -0500

I use to listen to the younger enlisted, and would give them needed advice or I would take their problem to the commander and get his advice.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Mar 11 at 2016 2:49 PM

CAPT Kevin B. — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 14:49:39 -0500

Typical "magic pill" article that focus on one or two aspects. What makes any given individual lead is the right mixture of things at that given time and circumstance. Many of the positive attributes out there are good in that if you violate them, you're likely tanking it. People want to be valued, hence it's a good idea that you do value people or in some cases act like it. So I'm not a 7 Habits of some quadrangle type but rather focus on doing the right thing and treating people well. When they see it isn't about you, it helps a lot. The listening piece has a lot of merit because every now and then a real nugget that you wouldn't discover otherwise is there. Good listening also requires a good BS filter. You can't listen and process everything so you work the skill that allows you to filter the gold from the sand. Now what was that my wife said I wasn't listening to????

Response by 1stSgt Eugene Harless made Mar 11 at 2016 3:15 PM

1stSgt Eugene Harless — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 15:15:33 -0500

Nice article, I know the old school USMC leadership traits (JJ DID TIE BUCKLE) were pretty simply defined, but reflecting on them, communication ( the way you express yourself and the ability to listen and process information) is a key to all of them.
By the way I guess we Jarheads are pretty dense. You don't tie a buckle, you buckle it.

Response by SPC Greg Andle made Mar 14 at 2016 10:20 AM

SPC Greg Andle — Mon, 14 Mar 2016 10:20:55 -0400

“Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.”

I had some great leaders while I served... and a few not so good ones. I found those who followed the quote were the ones who got better results from their subordinates, and as a whole, everyone functioned better as a team.

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Jul 28 at 2016 3:37 AM

SSG Warren Swan — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 03:37:49 -0400

Sir here's my take on it and I also agree with PO1 John Miller.
1. Packaging of the message. If the message is a hot mess before it's sent out, I'd wager a happy meal that none of the senders understand what they are asking for. No just because you have ab IQ of 900 doesn't make you any smarter than that SGT who's had hands on time to you simulations. This is important being many equate rank with knowledge and will look right past you for valuable input, when the SME is a SPC sitting in the nosebleed seats not allowed to speak.
2. Sending the message. If I take the message and box it into other smaller boxes, with no real end in sight, I'm frustrating the SM, and what needs to be done won't be since the SM is spending him time OUR time opening more boxes to get to what. It's somewhat the same with computers. Everything is sent in packet form. The computer has the ability to strip and move packets at will to ensued the right one is going to the right place. If they don't then you now have he beginnings of a labeled and incomplete message.
3. Receipt of message. Here is the fun part. I have finally gotten all the boxes open, stripped off the header packets and put them back together to where they should make sense. Problem now is context and proper understanding of the message. All the Branches have little acronyms that make sense to THEM but not much to anyone else. The message unless firmly directed to another service specific SM, won't be understood, acknowledged, and here we go again. Please see pt1.

Response by CW5 Andrew J. Foreman made Jul 28 at 2016 10:20 AM

CW5 Andrew J. Foreman — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 10:20:07 -0400

Each morning I start my day reading and being still and silent. It is a great time to reflect about the day ahead. About 10 years ago I was in a Directors Leadership course and we had an entire day devoted to active and intuitive listening. Best block of instruction ever. The practical exercises were key to reply learning and understanding these leadership skills. One other thing I have learned about listening is to put away your cell phone when engaged in a conversation. It demonstrates that the person in front of you is most important at that moment. If you are waiting for an important call, tell that person up front and only take the call or text that was important. Doing this has really helped and I find that others do not text or check phone when I am with them.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 29 at 2016 10:34 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 22:34:27 -0400

I agree with the author. I usually listen at level two and a half. I need to fine tune my ability to understand the motives behind the words.

Response by PO3 Steven Adams made Jul 30 at 2016 12:05 AM

PO3 Steven Adams — Sat, 30 Jul 2016 00:05:46 -0400

To Communicate effectively

Response by SFC William Sutherland III made Jul 30 at 2016 8:20 PM

SFC William Sutherland III — Sat, 30 Jul 2016 20:20:14 -0400

I would say that listening is important but not essential as communication! If you can't communicate to commanders and lower enlisted - forget about listening !

Response by SPC Jill Drushal, RN, MA made Nov 4 at 2016 3:30 PM

SPC Jill Drushal, RN, MA — Fri, 04 Nov 2016 15:30:57 -0400

Yes, listening is the single most important leadership skill. It has been proven that 55% of communication is visual. This is the primary reason that business leaders prefer to meet in person. If that's not possible, video conference or Skype is the communication method of choice. Visual cues are necessary to indicate that leaders are really listening. Often, this is called "active listening." I prefer the way my Congressman refers to it, "Leading from the Front."

Response by SFC George Smith made Nov 15 at 2016 8:42 PM

SFC George Smith — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 20:42:45 -0500

interesting...

Response by PO2 Jerri Jackson made Nov 15 at 2016 9:04 PM

PO2 Jerri Jackson — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 21:04:24 -0500

I agree with the listening, but too me, equally important, is not showing favoritism! I had to put up with it in the military, n now the civilian world. I would rather have my superior not really listening, than showing blatant favoritism.
Just pisses me the freak off.

Response by Cadet PVT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 16 at 2016 7:12 AM

Cadet PVT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 07:12:42 -0500

Duty, Honor, Country!

Response by MSgt Roger Settlemyer made Nov 16 at 2016 2:01 PM

MSgt Roger Settlemyer — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 14:01:46 -0500

Very Interesting: I Agree on what been said keep as much BS away from our troops as possible,Lead By Example, Don't ask your troops to something you would not do. Learn To delegate responsibilities to the lowest level,Make your Junior NCO Leaders, give them the tools to make fair and honest decisions. Consul them when they are wrong, praise them when they are right. It all has to do with Honor. (Listen,Answer,Probe and Respond)

Response by SSgt Jim Gilmore made Nov 18 at 2016 10:51 AM

SSgt Jim Gilmore — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 10:51:30 -0500

The ability to listen to understand, not listening to respond.

Response by SFC William Stephens A. Jr., 3 MSM, JSCM made Nov 18 at 2016 2:44 PM

SFC William Stephens A. Jr., 3 MSM, JSCM — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 14:44:18 -0500

BE * KNOW * DO *

Response by SPC Tony Means made Nov 18 at 2016 7:20 PM

SPC Tony Means — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 19:20:56 -0500

To lead good men, be a leader. To lead moldable men be a teacher. To lead imbeciles be an ASSET KICKER!

Response by Austin Hocutt made Dec 3 at 2016 4:09 PM

Austin Hocutt — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 16:09:35 -0500

The ability to understand the need of every soldier in the field.

Response by GySgt Melissa Gravila made Dec 26 at 2016 12:26 PM

GySgt Melissa Gravila — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 12:26:42 -0500

Although I do agree to a certain extent- I think listening can be interchanged with compassion. When I was coming up through the ranks, the leaders I respected/admired most were the ones who listened, and GENUINELY CARED for their troops. You are only as strong as your weakest link, so I need to make sure my troops are taken care of- emotionally, physically, spiritually- whatever they need. An unmet need will always lead to a subpar performance. A true leader knows intuitively which trait to "spotlight" when IMHO. js Semper Fi

Response by MGySgt Jerry Suarez made May 20 at 2018 1:15 PM

MGySgt Jerry Suarez — Sun, 20 May 2018 13:15:44 -0400

I agree if your talking your not listening. You also must control yourself and listen to understand vice listen to respond. That's why we have one mouth and two ears so we could do more listening than talking.

Response by SSG Jess Peters made Sep 30 at 2018 12:57 PM

SSG Jess Peters — Sun, 30 Sep 2018 12:57:30 -0400

There is no single most important leadership skill.To be a good leader requires many skills and traits. The Fifth US Army NCO academy drilled 14 leadership traits into our brains. No one has them all but all leaders should have them all. Bearing, courage, decisiveness, dependability, endurance (physical and emotional), enthusiasm, initiative, integrity, judgment, justice, knowledge, loyalty, tact, unselfishness.
Another part of courage is to insulate your soldiers from abusive overbearing leaders.

Response by SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM made Aug 4 at 2019 4:55 PM

SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 16:55:20 -0400

Listening!