Leaders Speak Last

Nelson Mandela is a particularly special case study in the leadership world because he is universally regarded as a great leader. You can take other personalities and, depending on the nation you go to, we have different opinions about other personalities, but Nelson Mandela is universally regarded as a great leader. He was actually the son of a tribal chief. He was asked one day how he learned to be a great leader. and he responded that he would go with his father to tribal meetings, and he remembered two things when his father would meet with other elders.?

1. They would always sit in a circle.?
2. His father was always the last to speak.

You will be told your whole life that you need to learn to listen. I would say that you need to learn to be the last to speak. I see it in boardrooms every day of the week. Even with people who consider themselves good leaders, who may actually be decent leaders, will walk into a room and say “here's the problem. Here is what I think, but I'm interested in your opinion let's go around the room” it's too late! The ability to hold your opinions to yourself until everyone has spoken does two things.?

1. It gives everybody else the feeling that they have been heard.
2. You get the benefit of hearing what everybody else has to think before you render your opinion.

If you agree with somebody, don't nod YES. If you disagree with somebody, don't nod NO. Simply sit there and take it all in and the only thing you're allowed to do is ask questions so that you can understand what they mean and why they have the opinion that they have. You must understand from where they are speaking, why they have the opinion they have, and not just what they are saying! and at the end, you will get your turn. It sounds easy, but it's not!

?Ladies and gentlemen, Practice being the last to speak. That’s what Nelson Mandela did.

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TEDx NelsonMandelaUniversity

Simon Sinek