First and foremost, your heart HAS to be in the right place to be an effective leader. It is the most fundamental piece that most people (especially men) tend to avoid...and if you are a Christian, it is BIBLICAL! Only GOD should come before our LOVE for others. I think Bobby Bowden said it best when describing his priorities: "GOD - FAMILY - FOOTBALL"
Depending on who you believe, "listening" accounts for a minimum of two-thirds (and as high as 90%) of communication. Yet, most of the time, we become more consumed by framing our response, than really "listening" with the goal of "learning." Actually, listening can be as simple as being more self-aware.
Constantly seeking and actively learning (applying what we have learned) is so important to our personal growth. Yet, applying what we have learned takes practice (meaning that we will ALL most certainly fail at times). AND...fear of failure, is often described as "the antithesis of learning." So, is it possible to incentivize a culture that encourages learning without punishing failure? Let's talk about it...