Leadership skills and approaches are hard won. Today’s industry leaders shared with us some of their learnings, and the most popular and often applied was listening, with its value in all aspects of teambuilding, client services, and getting to the root of the issue.

On the importance of listening, in their own words:

“Don’t be afraid to listen and allow new information to change your mind and your decisions.” —Bowinn Ma, MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale and Parliamentary Secretary for TransLink, Legislative Assembly of BC

“Listening to others who have ideas, to those with broad and diverse experience, and to those who have a different perspective.” —Anne McMullin, President and CEO, Urban Development Institute

“I’ve really learned the importance of listening, which can be hard for an extrovert.” —Erin Seeley, CEO, Real Estate Council of BC

“I have really worked on my listening skills and asking questions instead of providing my opinions, being more curious and understanding of what others have to say and the reasons behind their ideas. This has really helped me as a leader to gain respect and trust.” —Tracy Wall, Deputy Assessor, BC Assessment, Thompson-Okanagan Region

“Three things that have shaped how I lead are possessing a visionary mindset, learning to be an effective listener, and practicing my communication skills.” —Ellen Hsu, Principal, Prominent Real Estate Services and Promont Management

“… listening is important. It allows me to be empathetic, identify the middle ground, or come up with a collaborative idea or the best plan forward. Collaboration and active listening are key within effective teams; this allows members of a team to be a part of the plan and the outcomes.” —Lisa D’Errico, Principal, Liberty Land Consulting & Real Estate Services

Download Summer 2020

To read more about leadership, see the Summer 2020 edition of Input. Download Summer 2020

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