A lot of leaders are better at telling the truth than listening to it.
My friend Amy P. Kelly said that yesterday at a conference we were both speaking at, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.
Because if you're honest with yourself, you know exactly what that looks like. The meeting where someone raises a concern, and the leader spends the next five minutes explaining why it's not actually a problem. The one-on-one where an employee shares frustration and walks out feeling worse than when they walked in.
The leader might not have even been wrong about what they said, but they demonstrated they weren't really listening.
What I have learned from studying the best leaders is that they ask more than they tell.
The best leaders ask more than they tell.
This week, I break down why you might not be listening as well as you think, why hearing and listening are not the same thing, and what happens when leaders actually commit to listening.
Use your gifts,
John Eades
Founder of LearnLoft | The Sales Infrastructure
P.S. Our poll last week showed 49% said their team would describe them as a realistic leader. Take the free quiz to find out your outlook when something goes wrong.
This Week’s Poll Question
Anyone who answers this poll is entered to win a free copy of the Optimistic Outlook.
Are you better at telling the truth or listening to it?
Last Week’s Poll Results
How would your team describe your default outlook as a leader, especially when something goes wrong? (15,872 Subscribers)
Pessimistic (2%)
Realistic (49%)
Optimistic (39%)
Not sure (10%)
The Optimistic Outlook (Newsletter)

The Optimistic Outlook is a daily newsletter designed to remind you to focus on the bright side, one day at a time. Join 1420+ leaders who are already improving their mindset one lesson at a time.
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