Listening

As leaders, we often put a great deal of focus on our ability to communicate. However, a commitment to listening is something that should be present in any servant leader. During this month, we will focus on first listening to ourselves through periods of silence as well as focusing on listen to others, both what is being said and what is not being said in our every day interactions with those we lead.

“Listening, coupled with regular periods of reflections are essential to the growth of the servant leader.” Larry Spears, The Power of Servant Leadership

Practices for Individual Reflection:

• Each day this month spend 10 minutes in complete silence.

• After each time of silence, take a moment to journal the things you heard or reflected on. What are areas of growth you are identifying when it comes to your listening?

Questions to discuss in your mentoring connection time:

• Are patterns of individual silence new to you? What have you been learning from your time of silence? What are areas of growth you have identified?

• Chapter 5 of the book deals with the healing power of silence. Are there areas you need or have experienced healing through your silence?

• As Pastors, prayer is often a daily occurrence for us, but it can become ritualistic and we feel less connected to ourselves and God when that happens. Are there ways your time of prayer can be improved on? Are you able to experience silence in your times of prayer?

Question’s for group discussion:

• What are some ways your time of silence induced growth in your leadership?

• Have you noticed ways that you have been able to introduce periods of silence naturally into conversation?

• Have those times of silence in conversation had an impact on those you lead?

• In Chapter 4, Sardello talks about using silence to setup a more rhythmic style of speech with others which allows words to resonate more in the conversation. Have you noticed this already in conversation? What are ways as a leader you can help to introduce this into the interactions with those you lead?

After exploring this practice, here are outcomes we would like to see established in participants:

• Participants learn the rhythm of daily periods of silence and reflection, continuing those beyond this time of focus on listening.

• Participants continue to use silence to create conversational rhythm that breeds connection and safety with those they lead.

• Participants are able to experience areas of healing through the practice of silence.