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Peter Millett

Ambassador to Libya, Tripoli

Part of FCDO Outreach

14th May 2013

Listening: The Secret of Leadership

Much has been written about what makes a good leader. Books have analysed the nature of leadership. Business schools charge high fees to teach leadership skills to up-and-coming middle managers. And leadership gurus  have made fortunes using clever sounding buzz-words such as “demonstrate integrity”, “build trust” and “inspire innovation”.

This week I will be at the UK’s annual “Leadership Conference” in London, a gathering of British diplomacy’s senior managers and Ambassadors. This is the collective leadership of the Foreign Office. If it tells me anything about leadership it is that everyone leads in a different way depending on their personality and ability.

Role models illustrate the same point. People like Mahatma Gandi, Steve Jobs and Alex Ferguson are all regarded as iconic leaders. They inspired loyalty, created a vision, persuaded people to follow them and drove change. But they all did it differently.

So leadership is hard to define; though you know it when you see it. Perhaps it is easier to define what it isn’t. It certainly isn’t making lots of noise, firing off orders or being a know-all.

Listening is a crucial part of leadership. But it is under-rated and under-valued. If bosses want to get something done, they should listen to their staff. In democracy, leaders need to listen to the street. In business, CEOs should explore innovative ideas coming from the shop floor.

By listening you also become sensitive to your environment. By understanding how your staff feel, and by being interested in their ideas, you have a better chance of carrying them with you.

These days, leading and managing change in any environment is tough. The pressures – in politics, in business, in diplomacy – are enormous and many people fear the uncertainty created by those pressures. Employees want leadership, they want to be persuaded that there is a better future. But they also want their leaders to listen to them and feel that they have contributed to the process. Creating the journey together is better than trying to force a reluctant workforce to change.

In short, leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something that you want done. To succeed you need to convince them that they want to do it. You won’t get it done just by telling them. Listening to their views will make sure you do it better.

2 comments on “Listening: The Secret of Leadership

  1. Listening is a Step…
    Peter – I believe listening is a vital step in the leadership process, and concur that persuasion skills another, however vision and purpose are the cornerstones… ‘This is where we are going and why…’

    http://www.thehelppoint.net is our latest tools that is all about listening… however it is only a component for a leader to use to establish the environment he wants for his team.

    Too often as Steven points out… Heads of Organizations are providing lip service to the bilateral communication required to establish the leadership the team / community / organization will follow whole heartedly.

    Respectfully

  2. Dear Peter , I do remembering very well to another “Leadership Conference”. held in Spring 2009 in Bangkok/Siam. Former FS , Mr. David Milliband , wrote also an article about this meeting. But what I really want to write is , that the problems, the questions (“…what is the secret ..?” or “…who is a good leader ?..) doesn ´t have changed so much. That ´s why I do agree to you and your lines : Leadership is hard to define. I mean, are you a political leader , a CEO or simply a mayor of a suburb of Amman ? In my opinion, there is at least ONE common level of which all kind of leaders do have to share. The ability to persuade, to convince their staff, their team – even all these ordinary people of the streets , that there is a way and a direction which leads into a better tomorrow . Or by using your words : BRIGHTER FUTURE. I do strongly believe, that this kind of human instinct, human nature is a fundamental thing. An elementary one.
    For all of us need a some kind of faith, esp. a perspective and a view from the top. If only to see all those positive things which will come. So that we all do and can stand much better the harder times of these sad days at the moment. Maybe you ´re right by writing that leadership is tough. But this I swear : It ´s much tougher / harder , if you are suffering amongst /under a – you said called it – “Leader – Guru” and his “Buzz-Words”. I would simply add : A real bad leader, boss, manager and so on. Old-German poet Goethe once wrote : ” Große Worte – kleine Substanz….big words with little or none substance”.
    Best wishes and much luck for the Londoner Conference, liebe Grüßle ond Erfolg, Hawyl Faur, Ingo-Steven Wais, Stutengarten / Cardiff, Cymru

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About Peter Millett

Peter arrived in Tunis on 23 June 2015 to take up his post as Ambassador to Libya. Previously he was British Ambassador to Jordan from February 2011 to June 2015. He was High Commissioner to…

Peter arrived in Tunis on 23 June 2015 to take up his post as
Ambassador to Libya.
Previously he was British Ambassador to Jordan from February 2011 to June 2015.
He was High Commissioner to Cyprus from 2005 – 2010.
He was Director of Security in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
from 2002-2005, dealing with all aspects of security for British
diplomatic missions overseas.
From 1997-2001 he served as Deputy Head of Mission in Athens.
From 1993-96 Mr Millett was Head of Personnel Policy in the FCO.
From 1989-93 he held the post of First Secretary (Energy) in the UK
Representative Office to the European Union in Brussels, representing
the UK on all energy and nuclear issues.
From 1981-1985 he served as Second Secretary (Political) in Doha.
Peter was born in 1955 in London.  He is married to June Millett and
has three daughters, born in 1984, 1987 and 1991.  
His interests include his family, tennis and travel.