Tag: Body Language

Approachable

We all know that feeling of timidity when approaching someone in leadership. Leaders, however, must be approachable, but how?

Here are a few tips:

Close the laptop. Any time someone stops by, even for a few minutes, we need to close the lid on the laptop and give 100% of our attention.

Make good eye contact. Looking others in the eye demonstrates interest and engagement. If we constantly look down or seem distracted we communicate the opposite.

Watch the body language. We communicate a great deal through nonverbal language. Body language expresses that we are either approachable or unapproachable.

When leaders are approachable, we learn how to lead better.

Listening Leaders

Karl Menniger said, “Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.”

How can we improve our ability to listen?

Remove distractions: Remove the phone, television, computer, or anything else that keeps us from giving our attention to the other person.

Wait for the finish:
Learn to wait and make sure someone has completed their thoughts before formulating how to respond.

Listen beyond the words: Body language and tone of voice are critical to understanding the meaning behind the words we hear.