When Leaders Don't Listen Yet Should
Helpful points to consider
Listening and doing it receptively and skillfully is important in all areas of leadership. Smart professionals realize the value of this wisdom and practice it. Some leaders however allow bias, ego and behavioral deficiencies to block better judgment. They eventually pay for it. However, sometimes, they pay relatively immediately.
One national leader just did.
And Liz Truss, the now former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, should have known better, says one observer. This article is less about Truss and more about the problem — poor listening.
Ned Temko, a columnist writing in the Christian Science Monitor, communicated about the errors made by Truss that played a large part in her lasting but a minute — or more precisely, 50 days — as PM of the UK.
Temko wrote about the last days of her service.
“It’s because of something she hasn’t done: listen. More specifically, listen to voices of criticism or caution before launching her plan.”
Analysis: Not taking into account people’s disappointment, concerns, criticism and risks that are present is unwise decision making. Feedback is not always a positive but it’s not always a negative either.
Being unwilling to consider different viewpoints and especially warnings of high-odds risk, is a cognitive deficiency and behavioral weakness.
Feedback can be vitally important and unquestionably helpful, if it’s recognized for what it is — and valued. That requires a flexible mind.
Next point, by Temko:
“From the moment she entered Downing Street just six weeks ago, she has shut doubters out or shrugged them off. And that has denied her an invaluable corrective tool for anyone in government, especially at the top – a sounding board.”
Analysis: This is not uncommon, for authority and power to “shut doubters out” or looking back, realize “you shrugged them off.”
Yes, there will always be doubters, cynics and critics and yes, they don’t always know better. Point conceded.
But you know something that is also factual and true, thanks to evidence and thus proof? Doubters can at times be invaluable to you when it comes to trying to prevent someone in authority and power from exercising poor judgment that leads to destructive, painful outcomes or worse, fatal ones.
As Temko points out, by choosing not to value “an invaluable corrective tool,” Truss, like many other leaders, rejected the benefits of having a useful “sounding board.”
The wisest people know that a sounding board, not only from ethical, informed, trusted advisors but from people you wouldn’t expect can help you help yourself when it comes to decision making.
Temko continued:
“Fundamentally, it was about listening. Consulting. Subjecting decisions to the filter of voices belonging to those with different expertise and experience, and those affected by what was ultimately decided.”
Analysis: If you don’t have people around you that you trust, you have the wrong people in place or you have trust issues. One or the other, and most often, it’s the latter.
If it’s the first, then not seeking independent consultations and advisory is a dangerous decision. If it’s the latter, maybe it’s important to take measures to work through those trust issues with people who have the expertise that can help the mission and prevent egregious errors that you might not be allowed to fix or overcome.
For other professionals, ego gets in the way.
“Deaf hubris," is what Gerry McCusker, founder and CEO of the The Drill Crisis Simulator, calls the sort of aversion to listening that leaders sometimes employ.
This is a lesson to other hard-headed professionals: humility is a strength and risk management wisdom for you, as much as for the mission. Being a bull in a China shop is reckless, unwise and brings a higher probability of expensive professional and personal pain.
An important side note: ego can be disguised as fear too. People don’t realize this but it’s true. It’s not overbearing ego, it’s the type that is more related to imposter syndrome.
Whatever is getting in the way of ideal, or best decision making, it has to be identified and corrected, not only for the leader, but for the benefit of all who depend on them.
Temko concludes:
“There is no room for diverse opinions in an echo chamber…”
Analysis: This is not a fact he’s stating. This is Temko accurately communicating what regularly transpires within an echo chamber: diversity of analysis, wise conclusions, smart opinions, helpful suggestions, critical warnings — best advisory — are not wanted and may aren’t tolerated.
Most everyone recognizes the danger of this reality, except the person or people creating such an environment. A lot of preventable misery has happened because of this evergreen problem and failing.
There is a better way to think, communicate and make better and best decisions.
Not listening well and sincerely considering what is said is one way.
Michael Toebe is the practicing specialist at Reputation Quality, a company that serves and helps successful people and organizations further build, protect, restore or reconstruct reputation as an “asset” in their life.