One of the most important and overlooked aspects of leadership is the ability to listen. As I continue to study and practice leadership techniques, I’ve become more aware of the importance of listening. In order to lead those around us, we have to understand them. We have to create relationships with them. We need to develop their trust. They need to know we care, and we need to actively be engaged in empowering them to achieve their individual goals.

The first step to be able to accomplish our leadership responsibilities is to listen. Listening to those we lead permits us as leaders to understand what drives and motivates each individual. Too often we blanket those we lead as one. We fail to understand individuals on a unique basis and miss opportunities to increase potential within those we are leading. What sets great leaders apart from good leaders is their ability to tailor individualized engagement plans to help each individual achieve their goals. Here’s three quick ways to improve your listening skills.

1. Put away your phone – How many times have you been having a conversation and the other individual pulls out their phone and quits responding mid conversation? Too often we forget to remain present and begin scrolling or feel the need to immediately respond to a virtual message rather than engage in the live interaction occurring in front of us. Be mindful of the conversation you’re participating in.
2. Eye contact – Making and maintaining eye contact immediately tells the person you are communicating with that you value them and that you care. The difficult part is maintaining the eye contact. Through research and asking questions, I’ve discovered many people feel uncomfortable maintaining eye contact throughout an interaction. Challenge yourself to look those you converse with and lead in the eye. Give them your full attention.
3. Engaged body language – Open and engaged body language is a crucial aspect of listening. The most challenging yet rewarding aspect of being a leader and a culture driver, is developing the individual relationships in your organization that will drive individual employee or team engagement. This can be done through listening. Ask questions. Listen to the responses. Be present. Be a leader.