When it comes to famous and powerful individuals, it’s common to associate extroversion with success. However, as we all know, thriving as the center of attention isn’t actually necessary for becoming well accomplished in life. In fact, introverts are uniquely equipped for leadership and success.
According to Forbes, most individuals spend about 45% of their day listening. Taking the time to actively listen and understand your team is linked to an increase in trusting relationships and collaboration.
Having a sense of purpose that allows leaders to make conscious decisions that will help their team reach success. When you take the time to define the “why,” your team will feel valued because you’re bringing them along on the journey.
While disagreeing with a peer seems scary and risky, it actually increases our understanding of one another because it requires us to hear the other point of view.
In his book Buy-In, Harvard Business School professor John Kotter explains how “70% of all organizational change efforts” fail due to a lack of buy-in from peers. Getting buy-in isn’t a superficial tactic.
According to a 2010 Journal of Personality and Social Psychology study, when people are thanked for their efforts they feel encouraged to provide more help in the future. Leaders that show appreciation and recognition make their teams feel valued for their work contributions.
According to The Mind of the CEO, Yale professor Jeffrey Garten found that having an “optimistic spirit” was a commonality among the world’s top 40 business executives.
According to Forbes, simply paraphrasing what you’ve heard ensures that you’re listening attentively. Believe it or not, paraphrasing is a form of active listening.
But in order to build this communication infrastructure, leaders need to reflect on how to ensure a clear flow of internal communication. That starts with understanding the types of communication. To be specific, asynchronous communication.
