Tara May is CEO of Aspiritech, a QA and data services company with a team that is almost entirely autistic adults.
People drive change.
They also resist it.
I’ve spent most of my career leading digital transformation for media companies, which meant I would walk into an organization and ask journalists to transform the industry they loved.
Luckily, I started my career in journalism, so I knew what drove them. I knew what they cared about: their readers, their credibility and the voices of their communities. I knew if I could teach them how digital tools would help enhance those things rather than hinder them, I could help lead them through a full company transformation. We were a team with a singular purpose. Together, we overhauled the media model. We watched digital key performance indicators reach new highs, and revenue soared.
It wasn’t achieved by telling people what to do and how to do it. It wasn’t achieved by top-down dictates and micromanagement.
It was achieved through listening.
I listened carefully to what drove people. I allowed them to tell me what their vision was and how we could use their ideas to drive the transformation. Of course, I had my own vision, but when we shaped it together, it became clearer, more achievable and better in every way.
I listened to which resources, training and education they needed to achieve these goals. One of the first mistakes I see companies make is asking people to change without understanding what they need to drive that change.
I listened to what obstacles might stand in their way and worked to remove them.
I listened to what people wanted for their own careers and paired their passion with a business purpose—a crucial element in the recipe for success.
Listening was an important lesson I took with me to every leadership position I held. About a year ago, I took my first role as CEO of a unique tech services company with a mission of hiring people on the autism spectrum. I was nervous for myriad reasons, so I leaned on the one thing that never failed me: the power of listening.
I spent my first three weeks talking to every one of our 120 employees, some for 15 minutes and some for well over an hour. I asked what they loved about the organization and the opportunities they saw. I listened to what drove them. I asked how I could be a better leader to people with neurodivergent brains and learned about the experiences that had shaped their lives. I ended every session by asking what else each person wanted to add, and I was blown away by the depth of what they were willing to share.
I talked a little but mostly just let the team’s ideas and brilliance shine through.
A year later, we’ve taken dozens of big and small steps to transform our business lines, cultural narrative, benefits, team structure and much more. Our most recent data found that 95% of our team says they are highly engaged and satisfied with their work, 91% agree the organization is committed to creating an inclusive environment and 90% agree they can bring tough problems to leadership.
If you aren’t willing to listen, those problems can fester and trickle down to all layers of the organization and—worse—to customers and the marketplace.
If you can pause and truly listen to your team, you’ll understand what drives them, you’ll learn from them and you’ll be a better company. You might also find you’re able to reduce turnover, improve productivity and drive innovation.
Often, when people share a problem, they’re also usually willing to share the solution. I recently sat with a team member who was frustrated with a project he oversaw. I didn’t come up with a single answer or even talk much at all. I simply listened and then empowered him to enact the solutions he already knew were best.
Here are five tips on how to integrate listening into your leadership strategy.
Provide forums for feedback.
In order to hear from all team members, you’ll need to think about how people with varying comfort levels can share their thoughts and ideas. Some people enjoy town hall forums with open discussions, while others need an anonymous option to open up. Provide a wide range of ways for people to share so you can hear from as many people as possible.
Listen at every level.
At an executive level, it’s easy to listen to the people who surround you every day, especially direct reports. It’s critical to take time to talk to people at every level of your organization. Everyone has a different perspective and valuable input, and it’s worth talking to people who might not commonly cross your path. This also gets you outside the protective bubble that can form with people close to you.
Put your ego aside.
Good listening means being willing to hear positive—and difficult—feedback. It can be easy to get defensive, especially when you work hard and care. But if you can step back and be humble, there’s so much you can learn. Simply saying, “That’s a good point,” or, “Tell me more about that,” can garner so much insight and encourage true, honest input.
Be vulnerable.
When you ask people to share, you’re asking them to open up in a way that might make them vulnerable. It’s not easy for everyone to put their ideas out there. Model what you’re asking your team to do. Be willing to share, and be vulnerable yourself. You’ll likely find your team members are willing to do the same.
Take action with what you learned.
Listening as a leader must go beyond simply taking the time to hear employees. Action and follow-up matter and will earn you credibility. That doesn’t mean there’s consensus on everything or that you can implement every suggestion that comes your way. But you absolutely can—and should—reflect on themes, think about how to iterate policies or add resources, and truly take to heart what team members say.
Remember: Listening is powerful.
Leaders can drive transformation, not through talking, but through small silences that allow people to process and share.
Find answers in the quiet.
The transformation will follow.
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