How do I lead my team?

In his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell wrote, “Leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less.” So the question now becomes, “How do I influence my team?” There are many ways to influence people, but showing respect by simply listening to them is one of the most fundamental. Here’s a quick checklist to ensure you are listening to your people: 

• "I maintain eye contact…nothing distracts me."
• "I don’t interrupt before the speaker finishes (unless I have to)."
• "I am able at any point to summarize what the speaker has said."

Incidentally, the last item is both a characteristic and a criterion of effective listening.

Remember, the key to leadership is influence…you cannot influence without listening…the key to listening is summarizing.

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