You Never Listen to Us!

Note: This excerpt is from my upcoming book: Trust-Based Leadership?: Marine Corps Leadership Concepts for Today’s Business Leaders

You Never Listen to Us!

A common (and legitimate) complaint about leaders from their teammates is, “You never listen to us!” Effective leaders know that it is important to seek and value feedback on a variety of issues.

That said, while leaders should always listen to what their people are saying, this doesn’t mean they are obligated to always agree with them or act upon their recommendations.

Whenever I assume control of an organization, I tell my new teammates, “I promise that I will always listen to you, but I can’t promise that I will always act upon your advice and recommendations. I will always have to weigh what you say against the mission and other factors associated with the situation.”

I can honestly say that every time I have made this statement to teams of any size and in any environment, it has been very well-received. I often found that I was the first leader to ever explain this situation in such a manner.

People want to be heard; they want to know that their opinions and suggestions are valued and respected. And they won’t expect their leaders to adopt every suggestion they come up with when they know there are almost always other complicating factors associated with the specific issues under consideration.

Having this discussion will provide clarity for your teammates, let them know you respect their opinion, and help them see things a bit more from the perspective of their leaders.