Mike Tomlin shares the #1 tool every leader needs and the notecard that sits on his desk.
"One of the number one tools that we have is listening."
"As leaders, we gotta continually listen. We gotta continually be open to new and different ideas that might be different than ours - that might move us and the group that we lead forward."
Then he revealed something powerful:
"I have a notecard that's on the corner of my desk that says, 'Listening is a skill.'"
"I leave it on the corner of my desk because I want to remind myself that things that are skill-related - you better continually acknowledge."
"You can work at it and get better. You can also get worse."
Skills don't stay sharp on their own. They require attention.
"It's like swinging a golf club. It's a skill-related thing."
"I try to treat listening with the same level of respect. I want to continually work at it and hone my talents in that area."
"Part of good leadership is being open to ideas and understanding that great ideas and innovative thought oftentimes comes from those that you lead."
"That's something I'm always working at. I challenge other leaders to do the same."
Listening isn't passive. It's a skill you sharpen or lose.
The best leaders never stop working at it.
(🎥 L3 Leadership Podcast)