Listening is by far the most important skill for a leader to hone. We need to pay attention to the words and actions of others while suspending judgment long enough to allow your intellect to catch up with your instincts. Why? Because as leaders, if we speak too soon, we shut of creation. We shut off contribution. We force the adoption of our ideas. When we keep silent long enough to understand (not just hear) what someone is saying (or doing) we create the space for them to build, create, and own the plan and the outcome.

Storytelling is not a skill everyone is born with. But it’s a skill we can all develop. People on your team want to believe! They want to believe you know where we are going, or you will get us there even if you aren’t sure of the exact path at this moment. People LOVE stories because that is how they reassure themselves in the midst of chaos that what they are working on matters. They want stories about where they are going. They want stories that compares what they are doing with others. And they love to laugh and learn from stories that show where they have been.

Sincerely acknowledging contribution is necessary to sustain motivation during the hard times. It’s not hard to do and doesn’t require a lot of effort or expensive gifts. A thank-you note is enough most of the time. Public recognition of accomplishments, contributions, efforts, and even mere attempts sets the benchmark not only for the people who are performing tasks but also sets the standard for the leaders in your organization.

Negotiation is a practical and essential skill for every leader. Negotiation is often misunderstood to be the domain of clever deal makers. It’s actually really simple. Make very clear requests for a promise. Don’t walk away until you understand exactly what the promise is – what is being done, when, and what the standard of excellence is. And then check up on the status of that promise to see how you can help. It’s that simple. And if you need to make a promise, make damn sure you are clear about what you are going to do, by when, and what the standard of excellence is. Make sure you follow up with your requester on the status of your promise and any help you need to fulfill it. By doing that, you are modeling the behavior you expect.

(C) 2008 Michael Schutzler, all rights reserved.