Talking is easy.

Listening can be difficult.

Not just difficult, but really, REALLY hard sometimes.

Especially when the person we may be listening to is sharing an idea that we may not totally agree with.  When this happens, we often pretend to be listening, but in reality, we are thinking of what we are going to say next.

When this happens, we need to engage in the 3 A’s of Active Listening – attention, attitude, and adjustment. Attention entails being fully tuned in to the speaker’s words and gestures. The proper attitude is one of positivity and open-mindedness. Adjustment is the ability to change your gestures, body language, and reactions as the speaker’s story unfolds.

After watching the video below, ask yourself how you might be able to be a more effective listener.  Then start to apply it more often and increase the frequency of this behavior by just 10%!

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My leadership journey began more than than 25 years ago with The Leadership Challenge, the most trusted source on becoming a better leader.  So far, more than 2 million copies of the book have been published in over in over 20 languages. Based on Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner’s extensive global research, this life changing approach to leadership and their enduring work is critical to help us navigate the world of work today.  The basic premise is that leadership is a relationship that must be nurtured and, most important, that it can be learned.