Fundamental 4 of Leadership: Communication: Listening to Understand

At the heart of effective communication is the exchange of information that results in shared meaning. Effective leaders ensure that their messages are being understood and that they are understanding and responding appropriately to the messages of others. For true communication to occur, you need to listen on 3 levels in order to interpret the facts, feelings and values being communicated by the speaker. Truly listening to understand requires you to suspend judgment. Give the speaker the opportunity to express themselves in a safe place without interruption, where they know that you are actively trying to understand their unique perspective. They need to know that you care about their problems and ideas and are listening with an open mind. Nonverbal communication is the transfer of information through body language,facial expressions, gestures, posture, eye contact, and more. Effective leadership requires being highly attuned to these nonverbal communication spheres.