“You will never regret living for God.” Jack McMaster
I am a connect-the-dots kind of person. Therefore, one of the ways God has taught and grown me is by helping me connect the dots between scriptural truth and life application. It is from that perspective that I initially launched this website and its accompanying resources a little less than a year ago. The purpose was to connect faith, wisdom, and leadership in a way that would help other followers of Jesus grow in their leadership and make an impact. That original dream of an idea turned into three things: the self-publication of a book on Amazon (Leadership Ezra), the creation of the Leadership Ezra website, and the initiation of a corresponding podcast. The overarching theme became “Faith. Wisdom. Leadership.: Connecting biblical truth with wisdom for leadership.” Therefore, that is the basis of these “Leadership Ezra” resources – a book, a website, and a podcast – that are now available to help you grow in leadership from a biblical foundation.
The book, Leadership Ezra (order your copy on Amazon), is all about connecting the dots between Scriptural truth and life application, specifically within the realm of leadership, using a story in the Bible to do so. In this case, the story is actually the story contained in the book of Ezra, a book comprised of two different journeys of return for the people of God. The experiences in this book demonstrate and illustrate lessons that can then be applied to your practice of leadership today.
The website, www.LeadershipEzra.com, is intended to be a resource to help leaders with this same connection, again providing principles and practices that connect biblical truth with wisdom and applying it to the practice of leadership. If you are new to leadership, if you are struggling in your leadership, or if you simply want to learn more and grow in your leadership, here you will find counsel and insight to help you be more equipped to lead and to do it in a godly way. The goal is to help you lead like Ezra: know God deeply, live by His Word, and apply that wisdom in your leadership of others.
The podcast, also called “Leadership Ezra” and available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, is likewise all about connecting biblical truth with wisdom for the practice of leadership. These are short 5-10 minute episodes that share an illustration and provide some explanation and application of topics from the website. The episodes are helpful handles to understand and remember key ideas.
These three resources work together to connect three dots: “Faith…Wisdom…Leadership.” Aimed at Christians in leadership, including those who are leading in Christian schools and ministries, my purpose is to connect these dots so that I can help people lead well. So if you have found any of those to be good for your leadership, would you tell at least three other people? With your help, I believe that God can use these resources to better equip leaders who will make an impact for His Kingdom.
A little less than a year ago, I embarked on a new (scary) journey. For the needs of my family, I had stepped away from 30 years of ministry in Christian education, with 24 of those years as a principal or superintendent/head of school. I wasn’t retiring, but my personal family circumstances necessitated making a change so that I could be at home every day. So, I stepped down from my most recent position at the place where I had served for 9 years as the Head of School to start a new journey of using my experience and abilities to serve God and develop people. And that led to this venture at www.LeadershipEzra.com. What made it scary was that I was starting something completely new in my life, while still needing to provide for my family, with no idea of what the outcome would be. God was gracious in providing some additional work along the way to teach an online graduate course on leadership and an undergraduate online course on education, and to mentor doctoral students in their dissertation and research project work. My real desire, though, is that He will use Leadership Ezra in a much greater way to grow others in their leadership.
The initial idea came about out of a lot of prayer, and in that process, what the Lord made clear to me was that I needed to connect faith, wisdom, and leadership in a way that would help other followers of Jesus grow in their leadership and make an impact. That original dream of an idea turned into three things: the self-publication of a book on Amazon (Leadership Ezra), the creation of the Leadership Ezra website, and the initiation of a corresponding podcast. The overarching theme became “Faith. Wisdom. Leadership.: Connecting biblical truth with wisdom for leadership.” As an added bonus, I included a weekly feature on the website called “Quote Your Dad,” where I simply shared wisdom-filled quotes that I would often hear from my dad.
The book was something that had been on my mind and heart for a long time, and it came first in the timing of everything. Immediately after it was published on Amazon, I launched the website (with a lot of help from a friend who is a website wizard). Then, I did a little online research into how to produce a podcast, and a few months after the website was up and running, I started releasing a short weekly podcast episode that would match the website article that had been published at the beginning of the week. By the end of 2023, everything was beginning to settle into a rhythm.
For the first few months, the website articles – and the podcast episodes, once they had started – had been stand-alone articles that highlighted an important leadership principle or lesson that I had learned over the years. But by the beginning of 2024, I was starting to feel a little more comfortable with the routine of what I was doing, and began developing series of related articles and ideas. The first series, “Without Compromise,” was a look at lessons learned from the life of Daniel, and specifically at how he managed his training and equipping to become a leader in the king’s government, but without compromising his faith or his character in any way. The second series, “Complementary Contradictions,” was a look at seemingly contradictory leadership ideas that, in fact, can and should work together to help you become a better leader.
So now, I am heading into year two. What’s in store for the next year is in God’s hands, but my current plan is the continuation of different series, and prayers for opportunities to reach more people. The next series will be connected to the original idea of the book and the website and will walk through the important lessons that are talked about in more detail in Leadership Ezra. That will be followed by a series called “Be a Better Leader,” which will focus on attributes of effective leadership. Beyond that, what I would hope for is that God would bless this work and put it in front of more people who would benefit from what He has given me to share. So, if you have read the book, followed the website, or listened to the podcast, and have found any of those to be good for your leadership, would you tell at least three other people? With your help, I believe that God can use these resources to better equip leaders who will make an impact for His Kingdom.
Thank you for following and listening! On to the next year!
God Bless,
Jeff McMaster
This week’s episode builds on Monday’s article, part fourteen in the series titled “Complementary Contradictions.” Here is the transcript of the podcast.
Sometimes, you get conflicting words of advice, one which is good and the other which is not, and it requires discernment to determine which is the right advice to follow. But often, these seeming contradictions are, in reality, complementary and, when used appropriately and in the right way, can work together to help you make better decisions. In this series of articles and podcast episodes, we are looking at different leadership ideas or principles that seem to contradict, are opposite sides of the same coin, or at least differ from each other, and we are pairing them up to see how they actually complement each other to make you a better leader
When we started this series, I began by pointing out that there are often two different, or even opposing, approaches to leadership that both have elements of truth. For example, when working with a team, it is important to have a variety of strengths within the team that work together well while filling in gaps. But on the other hand, sometimes the team is not there (or the work you are doing is by yourself), and you don’t have that luxury, so you have to become competent at the things that are more difficult for you to do so that you can fill in your own gaps. Or, on the one hand, It is important for you to focus on your own leadership strengths so that they become even better, because a lack of exercise in those areas will lead to diminished strength. But on the other hand, at the same time, you still need to identify the things that are challenging for you, or are not in your wheelhouse, or not things you enjoy, and work to strengthen those to a greater level of ability so that you can do them when necessary. Failing to do that will likely cause important things to be neglected, which will have consequences.
These serve as examples of the point we were making in this series, that there are leadership principles and practices that may seem to be contradictory to each other but which are actually both true, depending on the need or the circumstance. So before you choose one or the other, perhaps you should first think about the valuable lessons found in both and figure out how to apply them cooperatively.
Now coming back full circle, that’s what we did in the last few weeks. Specifically, we identified and discussed six sets of complementary contradictions as pairs of principles that play well together, with the purpose of helping you become a better leader by incorporating both pieces of advice, not just one or the other.
The first pair that we looked at was that you tend to see what you are looking for, but not see what you are not looking for. What that means is that it is our tendency to see what we are looking for, and then to only see what reinforces the belief that has been formed by what we saw, which leads to forming perceptions that can color our view. To change those perceptions requires intentional work. Check yourself, to make sure that you are seeing things correctly and that you not letting a single experience, misinformation, or incomplete information become the filter through which you are viewing everything. At the same time, it’s fairly easy to miss things that you are not looking for. You need to recognize that tendency and then remove any expectations of what you think you might see. After that, you can work at zooming out and zooming in (which was the second pair of principles we discussed – to step back and take a wide-angle look at everything followed by looking at more specific details, and finally you can try to look through different eyes, by trying to see through the approach or perspective of other people or other angles.
The second pair we looked at was the matched skills of zooming out and zooming in, and we compared it seeing both the forest and the trees. A good leader needs to be able to see the whole forest, or the big picture. Like puzzle pieces, each piece of the context, the environment, the organization, or the situation fits into a larger context, and you can best see how it fits when viewing the whole picture. In order to see the whole picture, you, as a leader, must be able to get on the balcony, zoom out, and get above the forest to be able to see clearly. Being able to do this will keep you from getting lost among the trees, and will provide the perspective necessary to implement changes and adjustments. Therefore, at the same time, you need to be able to get in among the trees and see how they are connected. You will be more effective if you can learn to connect the dots. See the trees, find the connections, and use those connections to make decisions that will result in positive changes and improvements, decisions that will move you and the organization forward.
The third pair we looked at was what happens when a plan comes together, but then what to do when a plan falls apart. For this pair, we used the analogy of a road map to illustrate the importance of a strategic plan. We established the importance of having an intentional and methodical process for assessing where you are, determining where you need to be, and drawing the map that shows how you will get there. The map is your plan, and therefore it is crucial for getting from here to there without getting lost. So when you are stepping into a new situation, facing a need for change and growth, have carried out or completed the last strategic plan, or have simply stagnated . . . it’s time for a plan to come together. However, sometimes (to continue the road trip map analogy), the car breaks down, there is road construction and detours, or the rest stop is closed. Everything you planned out starts to fall apart, and you have to figure out what to do. You may have had the best of intentions, but it just doesn’t work out the way you wanted it to. Now it’s time to accept the circumstances and move forward and make adjustments and corrections, or start over, or throw it all out and move on to something else. Regardless of what you decide, it’s time to do something different.
That leads to the fourth pair, where I said to do what works . . . until it doesn’t, and then do something different. First, be intentional about doing what works (which is generally evident in the results). Don’t be afraid of allowing the people who would know best to have input, and remember to periodically assess and analyze because we do need to make sure that what we are doing still works. But don’t change for the sake of change when what you have is working. However, if what you have is not working, don’t keep doing it. Life throws curve balls, and much of what happens around us and to us is unpredictable. Try as we might to prevent it or avoid it, change happens, and if we are not willing and able to have a degree of flexibility, we will be frustrated, disappointed, and defeated. Therefore, to be an effective leader, you must be able to be flexible, willing to give up control (specifically, over those things that you can’t control), and willing to do something different with a positive (not a defeated) attitude, and willing to learn to become more creative.
With the fifth pair, I talked about being a teacher, but first being teachable. To be an effective teacher, you must care, tell, show, and respond. These are all behaviors that can and should characterize you as an effective leader. Perhaps you have already been doing this and didn’t realize that in doing so, you have been a teacher. Perhaps you need to begin to do them. Regardless, remember that good teachers help students to achieve, even beyond what they believed was possible, and so it makes sense that if you can be a leader who teaches, the people you lead will grow, and you will benefit. But first, you must be teachable. “Teachability” – or, the ability to be teachable – is essential to your growth as a leader. Therefore, humble yourself, study, practice self-reflection, and listen to feedback; all of these practices will help you to learn, but they must be willingly embraced. If you will do so, you will become a more effective – and respected – leader (and teacher), all because you made yourself teachable.
With the sixth and final pair, I focused on the two sides of communication, giving and receiving information, when I said to first close your mouth and use your ears, then to open your mouth and use your words. It is easy for a leader to assume that leadership means taking charge and giving direction. However, I believe that these principles from Scripture give us a very different picture: leadership should be characterized by listening. Ask questions. Make it safe for people to share. Validate. Make sure you get the whole story before you react. Close your mouth, open your ears, and listen. But then we need to talk as well as we listen. To do that, we must be intentional about what and how we communicate, to ensure that our words are meeting the needs of our listeners. Make sure that we are communicating information that our followers need to hear, that we are doing it often and accurately, and that we are using stories for the context. Then, when that happens, our words will fill in the page in front of them with the information that will be best for their growth and their performance. Be quick to listen, but then be careful to use your words well.
At the outset of the series, the goal in front of us was to see how these seeming contradictions are, in reality, complementary and can play well together so that you can use them to become a better leader. There are many situations you will face, many dilemmas to resolve, many choices to make, and many circumstances to address. Over the last 14 weeks, we’ve looked carefully at these six pairs so that we can learn lessons about how to lead well. The next step is up to you. Learn how to handle the challenges of leadership even better by putting these ideas together in your decision-making process. Applying these complimentary contradictions in practice will make you a better leader.
Sometimes, you get conflicting words of advice, one which is good and the other which is not, and it requires discernment to determine which is the right advice to follow. But often, these seeming contradictions are, in reality, complementary and, when used appropriately and in the right way, can work together to help you make better decisions. In this series of articles and podcast episodes, we are looking at different leadership ideas or principles that seem to contradict, are opposite sides of a coin, or at least differ from each other and pairing them up to see how they actually complement each other to make you a better leader. Over the last 14 weeks, we have looked at 6 different pairs of ideas, and today we are going go back and do a quick review of them all.
Pair #1 – You see what you’re looking for, and you don’t see what you’re not looking for
The point we made with this pair was that, whether we realize it or not, we all develop perceptions of how we need to experience the world around us. Those perceptions tend to be based on either past experience, future expectation, or a combination of both. We either have an experience – positive or negative, real or imagined – or we have a specific expectation that we are anticipating, and we then form a perception based on which we look for a certain outcome, and only see the things that confirm that outcome. Consciously or not, we decide what we are looking for, and only see what affirms or confirms what we expect to see.
At the same time, and although we believe we notice everything (especially if we are looking) we tend to miss a lot of what is right in front of us, primarily because we are not looking for that specific thing in that specific way. When I am looking to see or find something, without realizing it, I am expecting it to look a certain way or be in a certain place, so I then overlook it when it is not in that place, or it looks different than what I remember or expect. Because our tendency is to only see what we are looking for, it takes a conscious effort to see things that we are not looking for.
Pair #2 – Zoom out and see the forest, and zoom in and see the trees
You have heard the saying, “You can’t see the forest for the trees,” and that was our primary metaphor for these contradictory, complementary ideas; contradictory in that you cannot do both things at the same time – see the forest AND see the trees – and complimentary in that you have to go back and forth – look at the forest, then at the trees, and back to the forest – repeatedly in order to successfully navigate where you are going and what you are doing.
The point we made with this pair was first about taking the time to see and understand the big picture. In successful leadership, you need to be able to get above the clouds and see the whole picture before you can drop back down to ground level and begin the process of directing, guiding, leading, and moving. If you don’t zoom out first, you won’t know where you are, you won’t know where you’re going, and you will end up someplace else. You can’t see the forest and the trees at the same time, so start by first zooming out to see the whole picture. But then, you need to zoom in to connect the dots, and identify and manage the details. And then make it a cyclical pattern in your leadership.
Pair #3 – When a plan comes together, and when a plan falls apart
With this pair, we applied the analogy of using a map for a road trip to show the importance of having an intentional and methodical process for assessing where you are, determining where you need to be, and drawing the map that shows how you will get there. The map is your plan, and therefore it is crucial for getting from here to there without getting lost. If you do it well, you will experience the joy of arriving at the destination that you have been eagerly anticipating. However, sometimes (to continue the road trip map analogy), the car breaks down, there is road construction and detours, or the rest stop is closed. Everything you planned out starts to fall apart, and you have to figure out what to do. You may have had the best of intentions, but it just doesn’t work out the way you wanted it to.
When that happens, what is most often going to be the best answer is to decide to accept reality and learn from it. At that point, the best thing you can do . . . is to do things differently, or start again, or make adjustments and corrections, or even throw it all out and move on to something else. Regardless of what happened, your plans fell apart. Sometimes the best of intentions come to naught, and all you can do is accept the circumstances and move forward.
Pair #4 – Do what works, or do something different
We began this pair by talking about the importance of figuring out what works, starting to do it, and continuing to do it. It’s been said that there is no need to reinvent the wheel, and what that means for you as a leader is that you don’t need to create a new plan and a new way of doing something every time you have to repeat the task or program. You don’t need to change something just for the sake of change, or because you think you know better even though you don’t have any data to support your idea. You may want to tweak the current strategy or tool to improve it, but you don’t need to start from scratch. You find what works and do it repeatedly . . . until you find that it doesn’t work.
If what you are doing didn’t work, is no longer working, or has never worked, it’s ok to scrap it and do something different. Don’t exercise insanity. Rather, step back onto the balcony to reassess the big picture, then zoom back in to make changes (the second pair of principles we talked about above). Then, make changes or start over. The bottom line is that you need to do what works, so if something is working, don’t change it (but make sure you evaluate it periodically to ensure that it is continuing to work the way that it should). However if, or when, it is not working, the best answer may simply be . . . do something different.
Pair #5 – Become a teacher, but first be teachable
This pair of principles focused on teaching, beginning with the understanding that you are a teacher. What I said was that you are already a teacher, even if you didn’t realize it, because you are modeling with your life, your actions, and your words, and others are learning from what they see you do and hear you say. I encouraged you, therefore, to be consciously intentional about those things. Own the fact that you are a teacher to your followers and do it with purpose.
However, in order to truly be an effective teacher, you yourself must first be teachable, because that attribute is one of the defining characteristics of a great teacher. You are already a teacher. If you want to be a great one, then you need to want to be teachable just as much as you want to be a teacher. So, humble yourself, open yourself up to receiving feedback, and be willing to honestly self-evaluate. Then, take that feedback and self-reflection, and grow.
Pair #6 – Close your mouth and use your ears, then open your mouth and use your words
With this pair of principles, we focused on the understanding that communication is a two-way street, involving both the sending and receiving of information (otherwise known as talking and listening). In my observation – and likely in yours – most people tend to do far more talking than listening. That’s why one half of this discussion is that one of the skills necessary for effective leadership (and for healthy relationships) is the ability to listen well. We need to be quicker to hear than to speak (James 1:19), and we need to be careful to hear the whole story (Proverbs 18:13). In other words, close your mouth, use your ears, and listen.
However, while this is definitely true, it does not mean that we can neglect the other side of that street – we also need to be good talkers. Good communication involves both talking and listening, and so even though we tend to do one (talking) to the neglect of the other (listening), we can’t ignore either one. Yes, listening is crucial to effective leadership, but so is the other side of the communication pathway – talking. We need to do them both well. Put effort into what you say, how you say it, and why you say it. Choose your words with purpose, and express them strategically and carefully.
At the outset, the goal in front of us was to see how these seeming contradictions are, in reality, complementary and can play well together so that you can use them to become a better leader. There are many situations you will face, many dilemmas to resolve, many choices to make, and many circumstances to address. Over the last 14 weeks, we’ve looked carefully at these six pairs so that we can learn lessons about how to lead well. The next step is up to you. Learn how to handle the challenges of leadership even better by putting these ideas together in your decision-making process. Applying these complimentary contradictions in practice will make you a better leader.
This week’s episode builds on Monday’s article, part thirteen in the series titled “Complementary Contradictions.” Here is the transcript of the podcast.
Sometimes, you get conflicting words of advice, one which is good and the other which is not, and it requires discernment to determine which is the right advice to follow. But often, these seeming contradictions are, in reality, complementary and, when used appropriately and in the right way, can work together to help you make better decisions. In this series of articles and podcast episodes, we are looking at different leadership ideas or principles that seem to contradict, are opposite sides of the same coin, or at least differ from each other, and we are pairing them up to see how they actually complement each other to make you a better leader. Last week, in part 12, we talked about the importance of using our ears more than our mouths, and this week, in part 13, we talk about the value of using our words well.
Words matter. The first indication of their importance was evident at the beginning of all things when God created our world. Genesis 1 tells us that God spoke the world into existence. Think about the power of those words! What God said out loud with words is what came into existence. Then, at some point after the creation was completed, we see a negative example when Satan deceived Adam and Eve by twisting the words of God. At the very origin of our world, words were used for great good and for great harm.
And not just the words themselves, but also the context in which they are used and the way in which they are said. In my marriage and family counseling years, I spent a lot of time talking about communication, and one of the points I would make to husbands and wives was that how they said something was often as important as the words that were said.
Last time on this podcast, we focused on the importance of listening in the communication process, but today, we focus on the other half of that equation – using our words.
Early in my marriage, my wife and went to a social get-together with friends. At some point in the conversation, I was asked a question, and so I started thinking about what I was asked. In my mind, I began to process the meaning of the question, what the possible answers could be, what the implications of those possible answers would be, what I had learned from my own experience that would apply, and, therefore, what would be a wise response. All of this was going on inside my head while I sat there in silence. Before my thought process finished, however, the conversation had moved on, so I never got to answer.
The next day, when I got home from work, my wife told me that the wife of the person who had asked me the question the night before called her to ask if I was upset at them. When my wife asked why she thought that, the other person said that it was because I had a serious look on my face and hadn’t answered the question, so they assumed I was upset. I wasn’t, but they didn’t know that because I had not used any words. My wife said something to me then that I never forgot, and I have used it repeatedly over the years. She said, “Jeff, if you give people a blank page, they will write their own story.” I learned in that experience that it’s not just important to listen; it’s also important to talk.
The point is that you need to use words. Last week I referenced the “grandma-ism” that “God gave you one mouth and two ears so that you would listen twice as much as you talk,” but don’t neglect the fact that God still gave you a mouth, and so you still do need to talk; you just need to do it wisely. People want to know that they have been heard, which is why it is important that you listen carefully, but they generally can’t tell that they have actually been heard if they don’t get a response. Therefore, you need to communicate with words. In the website article that parallels this podcast, I talked about the content of the words you use, and what it is that people need to hear, but the underlying idea is that they need to hear from you.
What this really means is that you need to cultivate your skill at using your words intentionally. The words “skill” and “intentionally” are important words in that sentence. To make sure that this happens, I see three important qualifiers for the words you use:
1) “Sparingly” – use your words sparingly. An abundance of words can cloud or confuse your message. You probably know the acronym K.I.S.S., which I learned means, “Keep it simple, stupid!” Your words are valuable, so don’t throw them all over the place and cheapen their value.
2) “Carefully” – use your words carefully. Proverbs 25:11 talks about words being like “apples of gold in settings of silver,” but it also talks about the power of words to harm in Proverbs 18:21. Therefore, it is important that your words are chosen and used in a way that benefits the listener.
3) “Purposefully” – use your words purposefully. Your words need to be used to accomplish a specific purpose, and so it matters which words you use, and how you use them.
The bottom line is that communication truly is a two-way street. Yes, listen well, but also communicate clearly and with purpose. Put effort into what you say, how you say it, and why you say it. Choose your words with purpose, and express them strategically and carefully.
As a final recommendation on this topic, I would encourage you to do a study in the book of Proverbs on the use of words. Read a chapter a day for 3 months (you will end up reading through the book of Proverbs 3 times if you do this), and make note of every verse you come across that talks about your words. At the end of the three months, read through those specific verses and form an organized description of the main ideas that you learn from them. Remind yourself of it often and make it a part of who you are. Learn to open your mouth and use your words well.
Sometimes, you get conflicting words of advice, one which is good and the other which is not, and it requires discernment to determine which is the right advice to follow. But often, these seeming contradictions are, in reality, complementary and, when used appropriately and in the right way, can work together to help you make better decisions. In this series of articles and podcast episodes, we are looking at different leadership ideas or principles that seem to contradict, are opposite sides of a coin, or at least differ from each other and pairing them up to see how they actually complement each other to make you a better leader. Last week, in part 12, we talked about the importance of using our ears more than our mouths, and this week, in part 13, we are talking about the value of using our words well.
It’s fairly common knowledge (and common sense) that communication is a two-way street, involving both the sending and receiving of information (otherwise known as talking and listening). In. my observation – and likely in yours – most people tend to do far more talking than listening. That’s why the other side of this discussion is that one of the skills necessary for effective leadership (and for healthy relationships) is the ability to listen well. We need to be quicker to hear than to speak (James 1:19), and we need to be careful to hear the whole story (Proverbs 18:13). As we said last time, close your mouth, use your ears, and listen.
However, while this is definitely true, it does not mean that we can neglect the other side of that street – we also need to be good talkers. Good communication involves both talking and listening, and so even though we tend to do one (talking) to the neglect of the other (listening), we can’t ignore either one. Yes, listening is crucial to effective leadership, but so is the other side of the communication pathway – talking. We need to do them both well. That leads us to the importance of opening your mouth, using your words, and speaking intentionally.
I am, by nature, a reflective thinker, so I generally process my thoughts for a while before responding to people. What that looks like inside my head is, “Hmmm, let me think about that so that I can give you a very good answer,” but what it looks like to other people is, “Did he even hear a word that I said?” My wife humorously describes this thought process in my head as a train that is circling the tracks and eventually comes back around to the train station. So when my children ask me a question, and I haven’t answered yet, she will say, “Be patient children, the train is on its way back to the station.”
Although we joke about my train, recognizing this has helped me to understand that I have to verbally tell people that I am processing their questions, input, or ideas. I have learned that I need to tell people, out loud, that I have heard them, and that I am thinking through what they said. They need to hear me speak. Why is that so? I think the answer comes from something else that I have often heard my wife say – if you give people a blank page, they will write in their own perceptions and ideas. If you don’t give people information that they need to know, or let them know that they have been heard, they will form their own conclusions which may or may not be true, and which will likely have to be addressed and/or corrected, which in turn makes your job of communicating that much more difficult.
Therefore, even though listening is a critical skill that we must develop, we also must learn to speak. I am not talking about the skill of public speaking (although that is something that also ought to be developed in our leadership) but about the simple act of communicating our thoughts, ideas, vision, and responses. We have to talk to people, and we must do it in a way that lets them feel heard, gives them understanding, enlists their support, and provides information that they need. In order to do this well, there are three needs that must be met by our words.
First, people need to feel informed. No one likes to be surprised with information, especially if they will be impacted by the circumstances or the information. It is, therefore, important that they know what is happening around them. As you lead your organization or your team, there will be changes that you need to implement, strategies that you need to develop, and obstacles that you need to navigate. During those experiences, you need to communicate what is happening and what you are doing. And it is especially important that you communicate information to someone if you are obligating his or her participation. If they will be required to contribute or participate and they have not been properly informed, they will resist. So the bottom line is that you must be sure to communicate well and communicate much.
Second, people need an active, accurate data stream of information. They will generally believe what they hear most repeatedly, and so if you do not make sure that the information they receive is accurate and frequent, people will begin to believe things that are not true or will form perceptions that can be detrimental to your direction. And once perceptions are formed, they can be hard to change. The information that people will be exposed to will often come from other sources besides you – the gossip of coworkers, the opinions of friends and relatives, the advertising of competitors – so you will need to make sure that they are repeatedly hearing true information.
Third, people need to hear stories. Stories make cold facts become relatable, memorable, and more believable. They provide handles for information so that they can remember what is important and can share it with others. As Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker say in School Culture Rewired (2015), “Stories are the currency of a culture – they are the most effective means of transferring information from one person to another” (p. 38). It follows, then, that leaders should become good storytellers, able to put information in the context of a story that they tell. When you do that, people are more likely to listen and understand and will have a better grasp of the information that you share.
So, the conclusion should be that we need to talk as well as we listen. To do that, we must be intentional about what and how we communicate, to ensure that our words are meeting the needs of our listeners. Make sure that we are communicating information that our followers need to hear, that we are doing it often and accurately, and that we are using stories for the context. Then, when that happens, our words will fill in the page in front of them with the information that will be best for their growth and their performance. Be quick to listen, but then be careful to use your words well.