Blog Posts by Courtney McBath

In every human interaction, there is a need to listen to each other. We all want to feel "heard" and that we are capable of adding value to the conversations and interactions that we are a part of. We can feel left out or invisible when we feel like our needs aren’t being listened to, which can affect how we see ourselves. The principle of listening also applies to our roles as leaders.

In the same way, as we want our team to listen to us and actively implement our goals and desires for the organization, so do our team members want to trust us to listen to them and nurture the right kind of environment for every team member to thrive. How do we listen?

1. Deep Listening: Listening goes beyond nodding intently at someone while they speak with you even though that can sometimes be part of it. Deep listening looks like maintaining eye contact, taking notes, and asking further questions for clarity. The act of letting your team know that you are invested in what they have to say...

You've probably heard me say this a million times….so here it is one more time. Most of our communication is nonverbal. How you say it and what you look like when you say it far outweighs what you said! Smart leaders don't stop by asking, What did I say? They ask the bigger and more pertinent question. What did they hear?

We are all different. Words mean different things. Expressions have different meanings. Even humor can be misunderstood because of environmental and cultural differences. The differences in our backgrounds require leaders to be intentional about nurturing environments and relationships that value clear communication and feedback.

Since leaders, by virtue of their position are primary sources of information and often the first line of communication, our chances of being misunderstood can be higher than anticipated.
We want to be the kind of leader that's empathetic to the pain and feelings of others. Our goal is to communicate from the strengths of emotional...