David Duchovny, of The X-Files fame, was working incredibly hard, pushing himself from all angles, overworked, and just not seeing the fruits of his labors earlier in his career. He was wondering…what have I done?! He thought he had blown it! He was in the wrong field, at the wrong time, and he had really made the wrong choice with his life and career. How many of us have been there…or are there? He thought back to a teacher’s advice many years ago…
Each of us, at one time or another, may feel we have been thrown into the deep end of the pool. I have personally watched many executives over the years use techniques when they were trying to raise capital for a new round of financing or when they were attempting to lead through influence in a new position – and they have confided in me, after the fact, that they were not really sure what to do. What can we do so we at least appear (or sound) like we “get it” and know what to do?
Years ago I wrote an article on whether it was important to be liked to be successful. My readers weighed in on all sides of the discussion. Amazingly, this topic continues to come up over dinner tables, cocktail conversations, and even executive coaching sessions. Is it really that important – or is respect really what we want? Are they mutually inclusive or exclusive?
Have you ever been talking to someone and felt they were not really listening to you? Perhaps their eyes glaze over, they are constantly checking their Iphone or they are frantically writing something down so they will be prepared to ‘interject’ and interrupt with their own juicy bit of insight or knowledge. To say this is frustrating, and often insulting, is an understatement. As leaders, one of the most important yet least applied skills is the art of listening. What does that ‘art’ look like?
A lot has been written about the use of silence in selling, negotiating, and in all sorts of business scenarios. There is a good reason for that! There comes a point in almost any sales pitch or negotiation when the other person should be talking AND there comes a point when no one should be […]