Listening – The Active Non-Action of a Leader
A Critical Decision
On the morning of Good Friday, 1963, there was a meeting in room 30 of the Gaston Motel. In this meeting were 24 key leaders of the Civil Rights movement. A protest was planned with the intention of the protesters being arrested. But this movement had bail money. But disaster struck. The bondsman was informed by the city that his funds were insufficient. A decision between a bad choice and another bad choice was before the group: go through with the protest and be unable to secure the funds for bail, or abort mission which threatened the entire movement. The group discussed. But one individual carried the burden of making the decision.
Martin Luther King Jr. recalls this moment.
I sat in the midst of the deepest quiet I have ever felt, with two dozen others in the room. There comes a time in the atmosphere of leadership when a man surrounded by loyal friends and allies realizes he has come face-to-face with himself and with ruthless reality. I was alone in that crowded room.[1]
King retreated from the crowd. Alone in another room, he listened. He thought about who they were doing this for: the millions of African-Americans longing “to cross the Red Sea of injustice and find their way into the promised land of integration and freedom.”[2] The right decision became crystal clear. He emerged from solitude and declared he was going through with the protest fully aware of what this meant.
Listening – The Active Non-Action of a Leader
What is the primary action of leadership? When we pause and imagine what leadership in action looks like, what comes to mind? Unfortunately, if I were to ask people, I imagine most folks would describe someone talking in front of a group of people. The leader is the one talking. The leader is using words to motivate, set direction, and cast vision. Who is the leader in the room? The one who is talking.
But what if this missed the true posture of leadership, which is listening? Jules Glanzer in his book The Sound of Leadership[3], would argue the affirmative.
The Sound of Leadership
Glanzer, pulling from years of leadership experience in both pastoral ministry and senior leadership at several educational institutions, reflects on the critical role listening plays in leadership. Glanzer writes, “Leadership begins with listening, first to the voice of God and then to people.”[4] It is critical for leaders to see leadership not predominantly in terms of “talking” but listening. Simon Walker pointed out that when it came to President Jimmy Carter, his “instinct was to listen rather than to command.”[5]
As demonstrated by Martin Luther King Jr., Glanzer argues that leaders must listen to the concerns of the people, listen to the voice of God, and ultimately take action. Glanzer writes, “You have heard the people’s concerns, received your marching orders from the Lord, observed the multitude of details, grasped how God sees the situation, and tuned the instruments to the Master Tuner. Now you need the courage to ‘just do it.’”[6]
When leaders do not listen, critical mistakes are made. People are hurt, disastrous decisions are followed through, and the leader, without listening to her own soul, burns out.
The message of this book is simple: Leaders listen. In a world that has overly elevated the boisterous, egotistic leaders and seen many of their downfall, we need leaders who truly love their people and listen attentively.
[1] Martin Luther King edited by Clayborne Carson, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr, 1. trade ed (New York: IPM, Intellectual Properties Management in association with Grand Central Publ, 2001), 182.
[2] Ibid. 183.
[3] Jules Glanzer, The Sound of Leadership: Kingdom Notes to Fine Tune Your Life and Influence, 1st ed. (Plano, TX: Invite Press, 2023).
[4] Ibid. 25.
[5] Simon P. Walker, Leading with Nothing to Lose: Training in the Exercise of Power (Piquant Editions, 2013), Kindle Loc. 1246.
[6] Glanzer, The Sound of Leadership, 28.
About the Author
David Beavis
David is Australian by birth, was raised in Southern California, and is the Youth and Young Adults Pastor at B4 Church in Beaverton, Oregon. David and his wife, Laura, live in Hillsboro with their dog, Coava (named after their favorite coffee shop). M.A. Theology - Talbot School of Theology B.A. Psychology - Vanguard University of Southern California8 responses to “Listening – The Active Non-Action of a Leader”
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David,
I loved the intro about Martin Luther King Jr. and how he retreated, was silent, and needed to listen to himself (assessing the need in the moment).
This is so true-
“It is critical for leaders to see leadership not predominantly in terms of “talking” but listening.”
I recently recorded a podcast on listening. There is so much to learn in the practice of listening.
What have you heard/listened to lately which is impacting a decision that you are currently making? What voice is contributing to a message you are putting together? What conversation have you had recently which is challenging you to think differently about something? (these are the ideas that come to my mind -my fast thinking.) Do not feel compelled to answer each of these questions. Which one resonates with you?
Hear is a question I love: What has your wife shared recently…a message she has communicated and it wont escape you?
You are a good listener to the various resources we explore/read each week. I enjoy your posts…a good result of listening to what you’ve read.
Thank you Kristy. I recently read this from Liz Wiseman’s brilliant leadership book “Multipliers.”
John Brandon, one of Apple Inc’s top sales executives, runs an organization that brings in tens of billions of dollars in revenue each year across three regions of the world. John is a high-energy sales leader and maintains an aggressive travel and meeting schedule, so getting time on his calendar can be tough. But when his direct reports meet with him one-on-one, they get his whole presence…He asks probing questions that get to the heart of the matter. One of his direct reports said, “The difference with John is not that he listens; it is that he listens to an extreme.” In a typical conversation, he spends 80 percent of the time listening and asking questions. By listening, asking, and probing, John develops an understanding of the realities of the business and an understanding with his team of the opportunities and problems they face. This collective insight into the market has enabled John’s organization to experience a phenomenal 375 percent growth over the last five years. John, who can certainly talk a good game himself, knows when it is time to listen. [Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, Revised and updated edition (New York: HarperBusiness, 2017), 79-80]
How relevant is this to our discussion this week?!
Dr. Beavis
Excellent post. I really appreciated your 1st point or reference “Glanzer writes, “Leadership begins with listening, first to the voice of God and then to people.
How something so simple can be so profound in our lives. and yet often skipped over until it’s too late. Excellent blog David. Well done!
Thank you Greg. Your words are encouraging.
David, great post. Listening is so important. I remember once reading that that listening is not just waiting for your turn to speak. If you are only paying enough attention to formulate what you will say next, you are not truly listening. I wonder how it would change the political climate of our society if our leaders would stop and listen to one another.
YES! There is a massive difference between listening to understand (active listening) and listening to respond. I felt like Tom Camacho’s “Mining for Gold” is relevant to this content: listening to the Spirit, to the individual you are coaching, and asking deeper questions are all key.
David, thanks for highlighting the importance of listening! I’ve been reading through Jesus and John Wayne with a group of young adults and just talked about Jimmy Carter and how he might have been perceived as weak, so it was fun for me to see you highlight his knack for listening.
I’m wondering, if you would feel comfortable sharing, how you might listen for, and hear the voice of God. And/or what’s something you’ve learned from one of your youth students or young adults as you’ve spent time listening to them?
This is so good! I loved it all and it looks like many of our cohort did too. So I do not overlap other questions, I’ll stick to this statement that resonated with me in your blog, “When leaders do not listen, critical mistakes are made. People are hurt, disastrous decisions are followed through, and the leader, without listening to her own soul, burns out.” This is seriously powerful and you may want to save it for your future book. Have you witnessed this in your own leadership or in those close to you?