What does leadership sound like? Maybe it is the quiet voice of someone close to us who expresses their love. We might find it sounds like the loud and boisterous voices of children or grandchildren working, laughing, or playing together. It is possible we hear leadership in the form of authoritative instructions directed by a superior. We may also find the sound of leadership in the silence of the moment.

We could go on, but the point is the same. Leadership may sound differently to each individual and within a particular moment.

The implication of today’s post is not as much about the forms the sound of leadership takes as it is about the challenge before us to listen.

Only when we listen to the various avenues, times, and places where leadership occurs will we recognize the influences surrounding us and learn from each one.

The effort we put forth to actively listen for the sounds of leadership brings rewards that benefit the development of our leadership influence, while at the same time realizing the sound of our own leadership.