So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; - James 1:19

To be a good leader, you must be a good listener. Ever wonder why God spends greater part of His time listening to us? Listening is an effective influence tool. Every successful leader commands great followership because he yields himself to listening to those he leads. One mark of true leadership is when the people being led begin to hear their own voices in the words of their leader.

Every good listener may not be a leader, but every good leader must be a listener. To have a successful leadership experience, learning the listening aptitude would be an unavoidable success-factor. This is because listening enables you to expose yourself to positive input from others. It usually opens a leader to many options required for the creative thinking process. It is in the strengths and weaknesses of other people’s words that a good leader fashions his own wisdom. Apply speed in paying attention to other people’s words, but slowly and carefully respond to them [James 1:19, paraphrased].

Listening must become a habit for any result-oriented leader, whether he is leading a home, company, community, association, or state. This is so because, as a value, listening ability fosters shared thinking, while qualitative shared thinking bequeaths a listening leader with innovation, strength and maturity. A leader, who has developed the practice of effective listening stretches beyond the hurt of indictments and criticisms to understand the humanness of his critics, positions himself for synergy with his team an avails himself of resources hitherto unused.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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