What do you do if your leadership decisions are not well-informed due to a lack of active listening?

Self awareness is always the first step. Once you know or you admit it to yourself (often harder or a blind spot), then you can decide to take action. This came up in a workshop today in fact. A leader having selected they wanted to improve their listening skills, following some 360-degree work. I asked them to share this with the team and ask each member of the room for an idea. They have now made public to the team an area they are working on, which shows a) they listened to the feedback (progress already) and b) saying it will dramatically increase the chances of them really focusing. They also have 12 ideas from which to pick to help them develop. Interesting from around the room some ideas were how others could help. Great

Self awareness is always the first step. Once you know or you admit it to yourself (often harder or a blind spot), then you can decide to take action. This came up in a workshop today in fact. A leader having selected they wanted to improve their listening skills, following some 360-degree work. I asked them to share this with the team and ask each member of the room for an idea. They have now made public to the team an area they are working on, which shows a) they listened to the feedback (progress already) and b) saying it will dramatically increase the chances of them really focusing. They also have 12 ideas from which to pick to help them develop. Interesting from around the room some ideas were how others could help. Great

Empieza practicando la escucha activa: presta toda tu atención a quien habla, evita interrumpir y haz preguntas para profundizar tu comprensión. Fomenta un ambiente en el que todos se sientan seguros para expresar sus ideas, y busca activamente diferentes opiniones antes de tomar decisiones. Antes de responder o decidir, reflexiona sobre lo que has escuchado. Asegúrate de entender claramente los puntos de vista de los demás. Desarrolla tus habilidades de comunicación y establece momentos regulares para recibir feedback. Valora las contribuciones de todos y demuestra cómo su input influye en tus decisiones. Mejorar tu escucha activa te ayudará a tomar decisiones más informadas y fortalecerá la confianza dentro de tu equipo.

Reflecting on how important it is to really listen when making leadership decisions, I've realized how much it matters. If I ever find myself in a situation where my decisions weren't as informed as they could've been because I wasn't actively listening, I'd want to tackle it head-on. Firstly I'd own up to it and take responsibility for any slip ups. Then, I'd be all about improving my listening game. That might mean getting feedback from the team, maybe doing some workshops or training to brush up on communication skills, or even just practicing being more present in the moment. And of course, I'd want to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking up and being heard.

Do self-reflection to determine what interferes with you actively listening to your team. For example, emotional noise, like personal stress or strong reactions to topics, can often make active listening a challenge. It can create "mental static" that drowns out the speaker's message. To address this, consider incorporating self-care and emotional regulation techniques—like mindfulness or deep breathing exercises— into your personal well-being routine. It can help reduce stress and improve your capacity to listen.

I’m a huge fan of active listening and its power to engage, empower and get the best from people. If it’s not something you do well naturally, then consider this:- - What ideas and opportunities are you missing out on? - Why are you not listening? - What would be the benefits to you and others of listening more?