““A person who wants to lead an orchestra must turn their back to the crowd.” - James Crook”

This quote offers a humble perspective of leadership. Leadership is not a popularity contest, I think a a good leader doesn’t do his (or her) job for praise or recognition. The best leaders are the ones who do their job silently and enable their employees. The leaders whom I most respect are humble, honest and dependable. They listen and learn and take in new information, because they care enough to understand the perspectives of others and strong enough to stand alone when the crowd is not with them. What values are looking for in your leader? Contact me via e-mail for a meeting (in confidence).

I recently listened to a podcast where L.U.V listening was briefly described and it made me realise how many sales and marketing people preach - bla, bla, bla…
It’s the season of goodwill, so see below a L.U.V tip.

L – One important aspect of effective communication is learning how to listen. Listen without judgment, with your ears, eyes and heart to understand my situation

U – Understand: Repeat back in your own words to show understanding. I think that there is nothing that feels better to a human being than to feel understood.

V – The last step is validation, validate my feelings by expressing empathy even if you disagree. Try to put yourself in his or her shoes and consider how one might see it that way or how one might view it that way.

Follow my leader

TIP: L-U-V listening