Post this at all intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. — James 1:19 (The Message)
I used to believe leaders were the ones with strong voices, firm convictions and inspiring visions. They were the charismatic ones who brought a crowd to its feet and galvanized a group into action. They awakened aspirations, quieted doubts, and instilled confidence and commitment.
I’ve come to realize there is another side to leadership. It’s something that is glossed over in most of what people say, read & think about leading. It’s something that we desperately need in our leaders. It’s something that we desperately need in our churches, our teams, and our ministries.
We need to listen well. We need to be leaders who receive others into our presence. We need to put ourselves into a posture of openness to what others think, say & do. We need to lead with our ears.
When leading across cultures, a listening and learning posture is indispensable. With people of your own culture, you can make assumptions about where people are coming from and sometimes get away with it. That doesn’t work in multicultural contexts! Effective cross-cultural leaders diligently and persistently work to understand the perspectives, values, doubts and aspirations of those around them.