One of the books I am looking most forward to reading this fall is John Harris’s Tomlin: The Soul of a Football Coach. Click HERE of on the image provided to pre-order. For those of you who do not know, Tomlin is Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin and one of my favorite leaders.
Coach Tomlin possesses dozens of skills and attributes needed to be a great leader but one quality was discussed in detail in Jim Trotter’s recent The Athletic article What makes Mike Tomlin tick: In Year 17, Steelers coach still seeks that ‘rare air’.
One of Coach Tomlin’s greatest skills is the most under-rated leadership skill of all, listening skills. From Trotter’s article and the comments of others, we learn the following six lessons from the future Hall of Fame coach on the most under-rated leadership skill of all.
Listening Is A Skill
Listening is a skill and therefore, something all leaders must work on. Coach Tomlin said, “The analogy they used was swinging a golf club. You might have a certain aptitude, but unless you go to the range and work at it, you can’t maximize it.”
Listening Can Be Improved
Successful leaders prioritize personal growth and continual improvement. Coach Tomlin continues, “When you hear it’s a skill, that means some of us are naturally better at it than others, so you better know whether you’re good or bad at it. Either way, it’s something you can improve at.”
Listening Requires Humility
Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (ESV)
Former Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians remembers, “He was a guy who listened. He didn’t let his ego take over. It was a really, really good football team, and he did a great job of just managing the whole thing. He’d come in and he’d sit down and he knew what the defense had to do, and he wanted to know what (the game plan) was going to be like offensively that week. I’d ask him, ‘Do you need 30 points? Do you need just don’t turn it over, make sure we get 15?’ He’d talk it out. A lot of guys won’t do that.”
Listening Is Intentional
The most successful leaders edit their lives and have little-to-no wasted energy. Six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Cam Heyward observed of Coach Tomlin, “He’s intentional about every action he takes, and through listening he’s able to show that intentionality.”
Listening Is Caring
It is common knowledge no one cares how much know until they know how much you care. Heyward continued, “He’s able to show you that he cares. He’s able to give you what you need, not what you want.” For a leader to slow down, stop what they are doing, and just listen to what someone else has to say is kind, compassionate and caring.
Listening Is A Competitive Advantage
Coach Tomlin is continual learner. One of his favorite points of emphasis is the willingness to accept information. From his perspective, this is a major piece of team development. Trotter says Tomlin’s message is: If you want to get better, you have to take and receive information. As a listener, you have a lot of control over the pace of the process.
Conclusion
Leaders, are you willing to listen to others and accept information? If not, please know this is a skill which can be developed and improved. All this requires is humility, intentionality, and caring. By doing so, you will gain the competitive advantage you need to reach your fullest potential as a leader.
My latest eBook is available for download. The Top 65 Leadership Quotes Of 2022 Part 1 is a resource every leader should have. Great quotes bring clarity and put into words who we intuitively feel as leaders. They give us wisdom and insights which advance the mission and vision of our organizations. This eBook includes thoughts and insights from leaders like Warren Buffett, Nick Saban, James Clear, Dawn Staley, Jurgen Klopp, Jerry Seinfeld, and even Ted Lasso. This resource will take you about 10 minutes to read but a lifetime to apply. You will want to stop and ponder the implications of each quote. Click HERE or on the image provided for immediate download!