Listen

                               Dalai Lama Buddhist Spiritual Leader from Tibet 

Four important skills for survival are ability read, write, speak and listen. In school we are taught the first three but the fourth skill ability to listen is the most neglected. Studies show that two biggest skills needed for leadership are ability to listen and ability to connect with people,rest all skills are secondary. Yet we know that very few people have the ability to listen. It is believed that the Tao master Lao Tzu never spoke anything thing in his entire life. As enlightenment state can't be explained with words.

Nelson Mandela is considered one of the greatest leader of our times. As per him one of his great skills was ability to listen which he learned from his father.Listening is very important because it shows others that we are empathetic and value their opinion. The more we listen more informed we become and hence are placed in better position to make good decisions.

I will be sharing few of my favorite lines on listening

1."God gave us two ears and one mouth to listen more and talk less"

2."When you talk you are only repeating what you already know. But when you listen you might learn something new"-Dalai Lama

3."Leaders who don't listen finally end up surrounded with people who have nothing to say"

4."Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply."-Stephen Covey

5."Sometimes all a person wants is an empathetic ear; all he or she needs is to talk it out. Just offering a listening ear and an understanding heart for his or her suffering can be a big comfort."-Roy T. Bennett

6."Those who talk don't know, those who know don't talk"-Lao Tzu