Leaders: Shut Up And Listen
Public trust is in short supply these days. Edelman’s Trust Barometer global survey shows trust in governments has plummeted in this pandemic, and trust in media is at record lows. But, somehow there’s a bright spot in the data: business has emerged as the most trusted institution in the crisis.
Despite leading through one of the most turbulent times in history -- layoffs, furloughs, cutbacks, economic downturn -- respondents cite “my employer” as the most trusted source of information. It’s a testament to leaders' resilience and empathy, at least that’s what Dave Hilfman says.
Dave’s got more crisis gamefilm than most, and it’s proven to be his leadership X-factor. From starting his career at Eastern Airlines to navigating Continental Airlines’ merger with United Airlines, Dave’s led teams through the 2000 dot-com crash, 9/11, and the financial crisis of 2008 – all of which rocked the industry to its core.
Now as the interim CEO at the Global Business Travel Association, GBTA, he finds himself leading an industry whalloped by the pandemic through an unprecedented period.
Some might call Dave crazy for taking the helm of the association whose members are responsible for $345 billion in corporate travel as the industry came to a grinding halt. But after sitting down with Dave and hearing his perspective, I’d call him a veteran optimist and the best leader for the challenge.
“History is the best predictor for the future,” said Dave as he reflected on his leadership experience when planes were grounded after 9/11 in addition to leading an airline through the global financial recession of 2008. “Big disruptions often create lots of different kinds of innovations, and as leaders we need to throw preconceived notions out the window and embrace being adaptable,” he added.
Dave’s call to crisis-era leaders is to take a page from your early management days. “Now is the time to be listening more than ever before,” Dave advised. “Set the intention to listen more carefully to your customers, your colleagues, and your team.” By listening to your business' key stakeholders, Dave explains you’ll have more signal to make critical decisions that build trust.
“As a leader, you’ve got to make some tough calls, but if you practice empathy and make space to listen, you and your team can trust those decisions and come out the other side better off.”
- Dave Hilfman, Global Business Travel Association interim CEO
Hearing Dave underscore the value of empathetic leadership, I realized his insight hits home for leaders at all levels, especially right now. There are people in the C-suite today that will probably be in the C-suite in a decade, and then there’s people who are managing their first two people in their careers through all of this. No matter the tenure, the lessons of today are shaping the leadership tenets of tomorrow.
As Dave so pointedly stated, “I believe that people will never forget this time. In fact, one of the silver linings is we will all be better leaders if we remember what it took to navigate this chaotic experience and codify empathetic leadership into practice for good.”
So, how can leaders practice empathy in crisis? Here are a couple of ideas Dave sparked for me:
- Listen more, talk less
- Acknowledge what others are experiencing
- Be authentic in how you’ve heard them
- Make and give space for everyone (including yourself)
I’m sure every business school will have multiple case studies about how executives and leaders dealt with this moment, and it’s not just in the travel industry, but across the board. Over the coming months, I’ll be sharing more insights from conversations with leaders navigating and planning for an uncertain future.
A big thank you to Dave for the friendly reminder to shut up and listen. Now is the time to build the habit and put it into practice.
Dive deeper into my conversation with Dave Hilfman at www.foundersfocus.com