Is this true in your life? We get so preoccupied with our story that we do not take an interest in what others have to say. I must confess: guilty! “I’ve got the better story.” “You need to listen to me.” “I’m funny and engaging.” If you’ve said or thought of any of those statements, you just might be missing out on a huge opportunity. James 1:19 states, “Be quick to listen”. On the contrary, I’m quick to speak. But it’s in listening that we learn. It’s in listening that we grow in understanding. It’s in listening that others gain respect for us. In hearing others, we reinforce an important message: “they are significant”.
We all want to be the most important person in the room. The truth is, we’re not. The sooner we realize that truth, the sooner we are in a position to grow, learn and lead. Peter Drucker, widely known as the “father of modern management” once said, “Listening (the first competence of leadership) is not a skill, it is a discipline. All you have to do is keep your mouth shut.”