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March 25, 2025 |
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Fred developed an international reputation as a speaker, writer, management consultant, and board member. His gifting for thinking and communicating allowed him to “stretch others.” When asked about his wisdom he considered it a God-given talent, but pointed to listening and asking questions as two critical elements. The Listening Leader Every leader spends a good part of the day communicating with others. A great many books have been written on techniques of good communication, but the real problem is the spirit, not the technique. Attitude is often the barrier. Almost any two people who want to can talk together. Those who find difficulty communication find they are hindered by their desire to impress, not express. The difference between a good team and a great one is motivation. Any organization with the ability to get to good can move to great with the proper motivation. And nothing motivates quite like effective communication. Most leaders are adequate talkers, but inadequate listeners. The ability to listen creatively and positively depends on the leader’s ability to listen on four levels: 1) the meaning of the words 2) the choice of words 3) the sounds of the words and 4) the sight of the words. Most people listen negatively, which is simply keeping silent or reloading while the other person is reloading. Positive listening guides the talker both in the giving of facts and a display of emotions that permit the listener to evaluate on more than the surface level. Listening can be apparent or latent. A key to latent listening is the ability to read body language. Gestures, eye movements, and physical positioning give clues which fill in conversational gaps. Our words can say one thing while our body responds in agreement or sending up red flags. Communication is mistakenly confused with agreement. I often hear people say that all problems would be solved if we really heard and understood each other. Not so! In fact, if we really understood what the other one was truly saying, we might have increased disagreement. We talk around subjects in order to avoid points of disagreement. Hearing and understanding are critical to communication but not synonymous with agreement and concord. This week think about: 1) How do I know I am being heard? 2) What enables me to truly hear others? 3) Who can help me develop my listening skills? Words of Wisdom: “True communication is talking to express, not impress.” Wisdom from the Word: “Let the wise also hear and gain instruction, and let the discerning acquire guidance!” (Proverbs 1:6 NET Bible) News Line: ••• 3/25/25; Brenda A. Smith talks about the benefits of listening rather than talking constantly.” Click here to catch her new blog. Each month a group of men and women pray for Christian higher education – the students, parents, faculty, staff, and administration. Please sign up to the Campus Prayer Network on the right panel and join us in a time of serious need for prayer support. To contribute to Breakfast with Fred and help support these Weekly Thoughts, please click this link to Donate to Fred’s Work. We want to expand our newsletter coverage, please invite your friends to sign up for the Weekly Thought to have them delivered directly to their email. Do you have comments or thoughts about this week’s Weekly Thought? Share them in our discussion forum on Facebook.com To read more writings of Fred Smith go to www.breakfastwithfred.com Do not respond to this email. To contact us click here www.breakfastwithfred.com is a constantly growing online archive of Fred Smith, Sr.’s lifework. You will find hours of written materials, answers to currently-asked questions, oneliners, archived weekly thoughts and more more. If you have been enjoying these weekly thoughts you will find a treasure trove of work on communication, leadership and self-development as you explore the thousands of pages on www.breakfastwithfred.com. If you are having difficulty, here are the direct links in this newsletter.
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    _________ The book  Buy through Amazon.com 
Divine Confinement: Facing Seasons By Brenda A. Smith Also on Amazon _________
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