Throughout the years, we’ve talked quite a bit about the importance of listening as a cornerstone of successful leadership. In fact, it’s part of the essence of our definition of leadership:

Leadership is the willingness to influence your world
and the willingness to be influenced by your world,
regardless of role or title.

When we say “…the willingness to be influenced by your world,” we’re talking about the importance of listening to others.

When you approach time with your teams as an opportunity to listen and understand their successes, challenges, and learnings, you’ll find greater engagement, motivation, and success. In previous posts, we’ve called it active listening, fully listening, and deeply listening.

Today, we’re sharing another great way to think about listening to others. It’s called “Ting”—a Chinese character which describes a holistic approach to listening that uses our ears, eyes, mind, and heart.

Ting means to listen with your whole self, which can look like this:

  • You listen with your ears to hear their words, tone, and emotion. You’re curious and seek to understand.
  • You listen with respect (also known as King) and hold their thoughts with high regard. You’re giving them your full attention.
  • You listen with your eyes to observe non-verbal cues. You’re noticing things like body language and facial expressions.
  • You listen with attention (also known as One) and put away distractions. You’re mindful and engaged.
  • You listen with your heart to understand their needs and don’t pass judgement. You’re empathetic and compassionate.

As you head into your week, consider listening with a holistic approach like Ting. What would it look like if you listened with more of your senses and allowed your world to influence you?

Maybe your:

  • relationships would develop a deeper sense of trust
  • conversations would be more meaningful
  • collaborations would be more productive

When done well, listening can build trust and respect with your team, help to ensure you understand their needs, as well as fostering a work environment where people believe that they matter.

We’d love to know what you find!

If you’d like support
with your listening skills,
contact us today.