Listening is the first quality of servant leadership that I will highlight in my series of posts on the topic of becoming a servant leader. Taking the time to actively listen to people is something that great leaders do, no matter how busy they are. Have you ever been one-on-one with a leader in your organization, only to find that you felt like you weren’t even in the room because they seemed preoccupied? I know I have, and it was not a good feeling. If anything, I felt unimportant and overlooked, as if what I had to say did not matter. Even worse than that, I wasn’t even being heard.
A servant leader listens to people because he cares about them and wants to hear from them. He actively and intently listens to their needs, concerns, and ideas in order learn more about them and develop a stronger relationship. If you desire to improve your servant leadership skills, take the time to listen to people. Look them in eye, actively listen, and show them that they are important to you.
