Listening

As a leader you are going to be challenged each and every day. Sometimes a leader's most important role is to listen rather than solve. I had an experience recently where one of my employees wanted to give me some feedback about my attitude in the office. This person felt I was being very short in the office and I was not spending enough time with each of them one on one. I did not realize this was happening as I was simply focusing on generating new business.

As a leader you have to be willing to listen to feedback and concerns. This might be very simple in regards to business or complicated family issues. The key to this form of communication is to understand if the conversation is actionable or simply a time to listen. A fault most leaders have is they try to solve everything rather than just listening. Sometimes listening and leading people to their own conclusions is more important than just solving the issues at hand.