Listening, Learning, and Leading

Andy Stanley

Introduction

1. As leaders, we gravitate toward the voices that tell us what we

want to hear.

2. The nature of leadership is such that we become insulated and

isolated. And the dirty little secret is that most of us like it that
way.

3. Leadership is not about making decisions on your own. Itʼs

about owning decisions once they are made.

4. The responsibility of the leader is not to make all the decisions.

The responsibility of the leader is to ensure that all the decisions
made are good ones.

5. To make right decisions, a leader must be surrounded by, and be willing to

listen to, the right people.

I. To be a great leader, you must be a great listener.

Hereʼs why . . .

A. You are probably not the smartest person in your

organization. You are just the leader.

B. What and who you listen to will determine what you do.

C. Organizational decisions are judged by the people in your

organization.

Your private decisions will be judged publically.

D. Leaders are attracted to environments where their ideas and

opinions are heard.

1. Leaders want to know they have an opportunity to

influence their own destinies.
 2. Leaders who refuse to listen will eventually be
surrounded by people who have nothing important to
say.

3. If you want to attract great leaders to your organization,

create a system where their voices can be heard.

E. The man who needed counsel the least had the most to say
about it.

A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of

understanding will acquire wise counsel. (Proverbs 1:5)

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is
he who listens to counsel. (Proverbs12:15)

Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in

those who take advice. (Proverbs 13:10)

Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be

wise the rest of your days. (Proverbs 19:20)

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they
succeed. (Proverbs 15:22)

II. Problem: Most organizations allow seniority to determine

structure.

A. A seniority structure limits access and thus impedes the flow

of ideas.

B. In a seniority structure, title and position, rather than insight

or creativity, determine who sits at the decision-making table.

C. Eventually, a seniority structure leaves the seniors in charge.

III. Solution #1: Create a system that allows you to get the
brightest and most strategic-minded people to the decision-
making table.

A. Ask yourself, “Who would I like to sit down with on a regular

basis to discuss the issues that impact the future of our
organization?”
 B. Make that your decision-making body for a year.

IV. Solution #2: Create systems that allow you to listen deep
into your organization.

A. Applications:
• 3-month/12-month employee evaluations
• Ministry Team Representatives

B. Resist the urge to lead every meeting you attend.

• SPD meetings

Conclusion:

1. What we donʼt want to hear is generally what we need to

hear.

2. Who we donʼt want to hear from is often who we need to

hear from most.

3. You have some really smart people in your organization.

Figure out how to leverage their smarts.

4. And remember: leaders who refuse to listen will

eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing
important to say.