Leaders Who Listen

A recent article told of a CEO and his endeavor to identify and deal with certain employees who were critical of the organization and of his leadership approach. A major part of his frustration was the fact that none of these team members came to him directly with their questions and concerns. According to one staffer, no one wanted to confront the CEO for fear of retribution or worse.

In preparation for a recent strategy session for a highly successful business, I sent a brief questionnaire to members of the senior leadership team (standard practice). These open-ended questions help frame major issues to be addressed during the meeting. While I expected to hear concerns commonly found in a rapidly growing company, I found it interesting that some asked me to keep their comments confidential. In particular, they did not want their comments shared with the CEO.

The paradox is this: How can the CEO (or anyone for that matter) address issues unless they are made aware of them? Conversely, how can team members be expected to express questions and concerns openly, honestly and respectfully if their feedback is met with objections, defensiveness or worse? What to do?

One of the more memorable scenes from a highly acclaimed movie shows a lawyer pushing away from the dinner table and asking his host to arrange for a ride to the airport. He explains his haste by stating that his boss “is a man who insists on hearing bad news immediately.”

In my work with many CEOs and senior leadership teams, I have found this sentiment to be true. There is no shortage of people willing to share good news with those in charge, especially the CEO. While this is welcome, it is the “bad news” the CEO needs to hear and “immediately.” Yet this is more often delayed, filtered or withheld altogether. This points to many conclusions, one of the most obvious is this: it isn’t enough for executive leaders to encourage open, honest feedback, input, questions and criticisms. This will only happen when the leader learns to listen carefully, without judgement or emotion and to accept what they are hearing (or reading) with an open mind.

For more information on ways to improve internal communication and improved team effectiveness, contact me at joe@ajstrategy.com or visit my website at ajstrategy.com.      

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions.