The success of a leader relies on the ability to unlock employee potential, find solutions, and meet organizational objectives.

Yet when individuals are always looking to you for answers, it’s easy to fall into the trap of providing an immediate solution to every challenge without first taking the time to listen and understand the full scope of the situation.

Here are some practical tips to improve and leverage listening skills that will enhance your leadership capabilities. If you’re interested in a more hand’s on approach, consider hiring an executive coach to help you effectively improve your leadership style fast.

It Pays to Slow Down

In today’s fast-paced digital era, you don’t have to scroll far on social media to find troves of industry leaders and managers competing to offer the “best” solutions to every problem they come across, all vying to prove that they are the smartest, the wisest, and the one with all the right answers.

But there is a much-overlooked response to every question that can help you. That response is simply to listen.

The top leadership consulting companies provide the necessary coaching and training programs to its managers and leaders. If you hold a leadership or managerial role, you may feel that you already spend a lot of time listening to others. You may even consider yourself to be a good listener. But how often do you find yourself lost in your note-taking, or considering your own response before your employees have finished speaking?

In fact, studies show that we’re able to remember much less information from listening than we think. Research carried out at the University of Minnesota shows that we only retain about 50% of what we’ve just been told. Listening is a skill that everyone needs to practice.

A Powerful Tool

Once mastered, listening can be one of the most powerful tools for anyone to possess. As a leader, you have a key opportunity to take the time needed to understand everyone in the workplace. When we are faced with challenges or situations that feel familiar, it is hard not to jump to conclusions. We like to think that we’ve been here before and we already know the answers.

But there is no one-size-fits-all solution to any problem. Only by fully listening can you ensure you’re asking the right questions and ultimately gain a better understanding of what’s going on.

Without fully understanding your subject, how can you begin to lead them to gain self-awareness, clarify goals and unlock their full potential? In short, sometimes the solution is not to provide an answer but to simply understand the problem.

The Value of Listening

The value of listening is often underestimated. Learning to truly listen is a skill that adds immeasurable value to your executive toolset.

Below are just a few things that can be achieved through the power of listening:

• A deeper understanding of a problem or issue
• Stronger relationships with your employees, peers and clients
• Showing others that you care

And that’s not all. By demonstrating your excellent listening skills, you can lead by example. By showing the power of listening in action, you can help others in your organization understand the value that listening can add to their own departments or roles. Show your employees the importance of creating a reflective space and let them experience the power of listening for themselves.

How can we improve our listening skills?

So how do you do it? The best way to improve listening skills is through active listening techniques. Making a conscious effort to use some of these techniques will help you engage with your employees and get the most out of every interaction. Some of these skills and techniques may sound obvious when considered on their own. Combined, however, they will produce powerful results.

Below are just a few active listening techniques you can employ straight away:

Make eye contact

Shut that laptop and other devices!

Simply making eye contact with the individual you’re speaking to can help you to listen more effectively. When you’re truly present, you can process the information that is being given to you much more easily.

Demonstrate concern

Actively show that you have empathy for your employees and others within your organization, and that you truly care about what they are saying. This will help to build a relationship of trust and encourage them to really open up to you about the underlying issues or concerns they may have.

Paraphrase what you hear

Paraphrasing key information to the individual you’re communicating with will demonstrate that you have listened and understood what they have told you. This will give the person you are communicating with the confidence that their leader cares and is paying attention.

Ask open-ended questions

Open-ended questions require more than a simple yes or no answer. They require the respondent to give more thought and consideration to their reply. An example of an open-ended question might be, ‘What’s holding you back from reaching your goals right now?’. This technique will help you uncover a deeper understanding of what is going on for your employee or peers.

Take it slow

A conversation isn’t a competition!

Make sure there is space within the conversation for your counterpart to express themselves without time pressure. You can dictate the pace. If you’re a quick thinker and the individual you’re communicating with takes time to think, then it is your responsibility to give them the room they need to breathe and think. Giving them this space will help to create a relaxed environment where you can both get the best results.

Power of pause

Everyone hates an awkward silence, but sometimes our desire to keep a conversation flowing can stop us from taking precious moments to reflect. Hold back from filling every pause with words and give the opposing communicator adequate time to stop and consider what they are saying. You’ll get a more honest and considered response this way.

Don’t interrupt

You might think you have the perfect solution to a problem yet resist the urge to jump right in there! Interrupting can send a variety of negative messages to your client and can stop them from opening up to you.

Ask!

Don’t assume you know what’s going on. Respond to questions with questions and make sure you really understand the situation. Drill down and find out what your employees or colleagues really think and feel. However, wait for the speaker to finish what they’re saying before you break their train of thought.

Don’t just listen to what they’re saying

Don’t just pay attention to what others are saying; listen to how they’re saying it. And listen to what they’re not saying as well. Sometimes a simple change in someone’s tone of voice can speak volumes about how they really feel. As a leader, it is your job to detect these changes and adjust and adapt accordingly. Situational awareness and emotional intelligence are key.

Reflect

Make time to reflect on the information you’ve been given by others. How can this information shape your actions as a leader? Give yourself moments throughout the day to step back and consider the things you’ve learned. Are there more questions you need to ask? Reflection is a huge part of turning the knowledge you’ve gained into positive action.

Closing Thoughts

While a growing number of leaders these days seem intent on sharing their own knowledge and offering solutions at rapid-fire pace, there is a lot to be gained from making space to absorb and process information. Listening is a fundamental skill for an effective leader, and one that will earn you more than just valuable information.

Listening to your employees and direct reports will help you to build the relationship of trust that you need in order to make a positive impact on their personal and professional development. By employing these listening techniques, you will be able to take your leadership to the next level benefiting yourself, others and your business.