Page 55 - Harnessing the Strengths

38 ■ Servant-Leadership: In a Nutshell

Active Listening

The most important job for a servant-leader is to meet the
needs of people. This is only possible if you know what
these needs are. In order to make these needs clear, you have
to be able to listen well. Listening is an art that few people
have mastered. How many times have you been thinking
about what you will say while someone else is speaking?
In that case, you listen to what the other is saying only for
how it relates to your own point and how you can build on
what the other says in order to bring your own message
across. Thus, you miss the essence of real communication.
True communication begins with being open to what others
have to say, giving them the room to share their complaints,
wishes, and dreams. Truly listening happens only from an
attitude of respect, attention, and ability to empathize. The
ability to listen, to actually hear, and to converse effectively
without making any value judgments is an art in itself, and
one possessed by servant-leaders.

No one benefits from vacant philosophizing. A good
servant-leader always keeps the goal in view, making clear
what people’s needs are in order to meet those needs, and
moving toward that goal by asking the right questions. In
addition, as a good servant-leader, you need to be open and
critical of yourself and to anticipate changing situations.
Times are changing, especially in terms of massive eco-
nomic, demographic, and technological changes. Whoever
does not change will lag behind those that do. Continuous
focus needs to be placed on improvement, and active listen-
ing is the key.