Active listening and leaders go hand in hand. Active listening is the ability to listen well and is essential when communicating with others. A phrase recruits hear during their initial entry training is, ‘Eyes locked, ears open,” which is an example of active listening. Teaching active listening from day one begins to engrain it into a Soldier’s subconscious. Early learning of active listening will benefit the Soldier during their training and as they progress through their military career. Feedback on active listening from their acquaintances creates a more in-depth knowledge of the task at hand. Understanding the discussion or brief is not the only benefit.
Knowing how to be a good listener is the key to building relationships and creating an effective communicator. Listening is the keyword, as it differs from hearing. Hearing means that you’re aware of the noise; however, there is no decoding of the sound. Active listening is not only being aware of the noise but mentally decoding it, processing it, then coming to a conclusion of what it might be. An example of what active listening is, rather than just hearing, can be examined with the following information.
‘Approximately 12,116 service members have died in circumstances that are unrelated to overseas contingency plan operations since 2006′(MANN 2019). Approximately 93% of these deaths occurred in the United States, meaning in an avoidable accident. Actively listening could have been used to prevent almost all, if not all, of the incidents. Not hearing the warnings from their comrades, knowing proper verb usage to describe their issue immediately, or even simply not listening to the sound of approaching danger—all perfect examples of where actively listening at one point or another could have saved lives. Understanding the risks and how to communicate effectively can help in one’s ability to understand the mission at hand.
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As the Service Member moves through the ranks, becoming an active listener becomes more critical. Once placed into a leadership role, the SM will have to not only understand the overall tasking but know their role and their subordinates’ jobs. Asking questions and understand the larger picture will be crucial. Transformational leaders can be born out of this way of thinking. A transformational leader is someone who not only understands their job and the task at hand but knows the workers as well. Going on to do great things, these leaders are what it truly means to be an active listener.
When receiving information, they are actively engaging the conversation—asking questions, and giving answers to others. A transformational leader will be able to figure out issues before they even happen and be able to communicate their concerns effectively before problems occur, preventing possible tragedy. However, these leaders are not just born knowing how to listen actively.
” The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born — that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people either have specific charismatic leadership qualities or not. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. ‘Leaders are made rather than born ”— Warren G. Bennis (AMBLER 2019). Leaders are built through hard work, focused effort, and daily actions. The most significant part of learning to be an active listener is learning how to listen— whether from those above or below. Learning cannot happen without information in and out.
While asking questions and engaging the speaker, the listener learns more thoroughly about the task at hand, and critical thinking can then occur. An engaged leader is actively listening to their soldiers, creating critical thinking for both themselves and their subordinate. This method allows the SM to learn, adapt, and become an effective leader. As a leader, knowing what is expected, and communicating to their soldiers what is needed and expected is essential to leading effectively.
Actively listening can be more than just hearing a brief. When practiced effectively, it will benefit a soldier throughout their entire career. Active listening requires the listener to be actively participating in the conversation, not being passive (HERSH 2018). Actively engaging a conversation will not only result in a better understanding but allows the individual to soak up more information. Continuing education from school as well as their peers is expected from soldiers throughout their time in the service. The more a soldier learns, the better they will understand, and the more they will learn, the better leader they will become. Knowledge transfers directly into the understanding of the mission. Knowledge of the task can lead to fewer issues down the road. The skill of active listening is a vital tool for leaders to be successful. Without knowing how to listen, one cannot expect to be understood when giving orders, thus not being a leader.
References
- Ambler, George. “Leaders Are Not Born, They’re Made. Leadership Develops.” Medium, Medium, 5 Feb. 2019, medium.com/@GeorgeAmbler/leaders-are-not-born-theyre-made-leadership-develops-3b22c810ad6d.
- Hersh, Erica. “Using Effective Listening to Improve Leadership in Environmental Health and Safety.” Executive and Continuing Professional Education, 11 Jan. 2018, www.hsph.harvard.edu/ecpe/listening-to-improve-leadership/.
- Mann, Christopher T., and Hannah Fischer. “Recent Trends in Active-Duty Military Deaths.” FAS, Federation of American Scientists, 20 May 2019, Federation of American Scientists.
