To be a great leader, you need to become a great listener. Here are 3 skills to master

I used to have a manager who worked for me and would often come to me with a tricky problem to be solved. We would go to a conference room and she would explain the details. I would ask a few questions, but would mostly listen. After about ten minutes, she would jump up, having solved the problem herself and exclaim, “Thanks, you really helped me!” I didn’t have any answers, but my listening helped her find them. One thing I’ve noticed teaching undergraduates is that we train people to give answers, but not to ask questions and listen. By the time they reach my classroom, my students have had an impressive history of academic achievement and will likely go on to prestigious careers. Yet most will struggle with what is perhaps the most important leadership skill for both business and life: listening. The truth is that leaders rarely get to make decisions that have quick, easy answers. Anyone can handle those. To handle genuinely difficult issues, you need to learn to be a great listener. Here are three listening skills that are easy to learn but take a lifetime to master: 1. Listening for comprehension Kevin Sharer was a tough, strong-minded leader. After graduating from the U.S. N…