The art of conversation
If management is about results, leadership is about relationships. Results and relationships are the two hands that wash each other.
So, if leadership is about relationships and relationships happen in conversation, then leadership is just a conversation.
The art of conversation is less about mastering a skill and more about making spaces. Here 3 spaces you can create to master the art of conversation:
Space for surprise – the greatest conversations happen in the meeting of unknowns. By letting go of the commitment to be right, we open ourselves to an element of surprise. In surprise, we open ourselves to learn from the differences in how others see, feel, think, and do things.
Space for silence – silence is the greatest art of conversation. Hold the space of silence to attend to the other. When we attend, others feel seen, heard, understood, valued, and appreciated by us. When we attend, we connect. When we connect, we make it safe for all to speak and own their truth.
Space for sharing – when we share, we connect and when we connect, we own. The art of conversation is about owning your truth. Hold your opinions and ideas with dignity, not because they are better or more worthy, but because they matter. By sharing our truth, we make it safer for others to.
A COMMITMENT
When you next meet with your team, create the space for surprise, silence and sharing. Notice what shifts.
May you flourish.
Bernard