In a positive organization people join together in the co-creation of the emerging future. This means leaders are able to create setting in which all communication is authentic. To do this a leader has to know how to effectively listen. There is an assumption that blocks the development of such listening.
As an undergraduate I took a rigorous course entirely devoted to learning a single skill. The skill was active listening. The notion was to listen in such a way that others were assisted in communicating feelings they are often not able to communicate. In so doing, two people together create an enriched relationship characterized by trust and concern.
During the last class a student raised his hand and asked, “Professor, what if I do all these listening things, and the person still will not do what I want?”
The deeply disappointed professor seemed to shrink behind his podium. After all we had been through, this student could not comprehend the notion of reducing control enough to join with another human being in learning and mutual creation of the emerging future. This notion remains a mystery to many people.
– Change the World (pg. 12)
Reflection
When does the need for control become a problem?
What do you know about good listening and leadership?
How could we use this positive passage to get better?
