Listening is the basis of leadership skills
HYACINTH (2019), says listening is the most important skill a leader can master. It is the basis of so many other skills and traits that make up a leader.
“However, it is a tough skill to master as it requires us to be more present, attentive, engaged, open and flexible. Good listening skills in this digital era, due to information overload and shortened attention span, is fast becoming an endangered species. Listening involves paying and making non-verbal cues, appropriate to what is being said. Many of us are guilty of starting a conversation and putting a thought or question out there, but we don’t give ourselves a chance to listen to what others have to say because we never stop talking, or we are so busy formulating our reply to what we assume they will say. Don’t just listen with the outer ear but with the inner ear. Listen with the intent to hear and understand.”
The ruling Zanu-PF last week embarked on listening stakeholders’ conferences, starting with a gathering that looked at the state of economy in Harare. The idea behind the conferences is to engage with people from all walks of life, and get their views on socioeconomic matters. It is a noble idea that will bring positive results to the country.
The Harare gathering was a platform where business, churches and civic organisations interacted and discussed bread and butter issues. During the process, stakeholders aired their views, while the party leadership listened and took notes on their views. The contributions will then be forwarded to the party leadership.
Speaking at a Press conference at the party headquarters, Zanu-PF National Political Commissar Cde Mike Bimha said the all-stakeholders conference was meant to create a platform where various stakeholders will interface with the party.
“As you are aware, President
Mnangagwa has declared himself as a listening President. Following from that we are also saying that the President is also the President and First Secretary of the party. If he is a listening President, obviously he must also be leading a listening party, therefore Zanu-PF is a listening party.
“We want to create a platform where various stakeholders can interface with the party, with the party listening to views from contributions from various stakeholders. It could be groupings, professionals, churches, business organisations. We want the party to give time to these groupings to listen to them,” he said.
Cde Bimha said the party leadership will not be debating with audiences, instead they will only get views from the public.
“When we have listening party meetings, we are not debating, we are not offering solutions, we are only there to listen to the views of the various stakeholders. After the meeting, we will put all the contributions together and then we will be able to present these to our principals. Some of these contributions will obviously find their way into Government.
“We are not in any way saying that these stakeholders cannot meet ministers, approach Government agencies. They are free to do so. As the ruling party, we have an obligation to influence policy, to influence what Government then implements. We can only do so if we are in touch with people, in touch with various stakeholders.”
The intervention, he said, is to get and assess what is on the ground.
“I am your listening President, a servant leader. In this vein, those who will occupy public office at any level, under my Government will be required to exercise servant leadership in the execution of their duties and to be humble and responsive in their interactions and dealings with the citizenry,” said President Mnangagwa when he was sworn in as President and Head of State of Government after winning the 2018 elections.