Lead by Listening

I spent some time at Starbucks with my friend Sean this morning and he said something that had BLOG written all over it.

We were talking about leadership and I was telling him how I feel that everyone is called to lead. They may not be called to be the speaker. They may not be called to be the one “in charge.” But all of us are called to lead. Lead by our prayers. Lead by our faithfulness. Lead through our love. Lead through our passion. Lead by example.

Then he said that we are also called to LEAD BY LISTENING… what a concept! Everyone sees leadership as talking and sharing and being in front. What about demonstrating Christ’s love and leading others toward relationship with Him by truly listening to what people have to say? When we listen, we GIVE something that we CANNOT give by talking – EMPATHY (sharing another being’s emotions and feelings). We can give advice. We can give knowledge. We can even give encouragement. But we cannon give empathy unless we are willing to listen.

And that is what most people want. They want to be known... They want to be understood... They want to be cared about...

Lead by listening... to this YOU are called.