The Pursuit of Excellence: The Uncommon Behaviors of the World's Most Productive Achievers

by Ryan Hawk

Mike listened and asked questions. He took a few notes, but he wasn’t writing excessively. I could tell it was important to him to look the person who was talking in the eyes and show that person respect. He listened intently, always asked a follow-up question, and was not afraid to sit briefly in silence to think. Mike did this with every person in the room. But it wasn’t just a series of one-on-one conversations like in some formal receiving line at an event. While talking directly to the person who was fielding his question, he also created the sense of security and freedom in the room for someone else to speak up without being posed a direct question. It was an impressive display of leadership through communication. But what was even more remarkable was how he ended the meeting. Mike summarized our entire meeting and discussed the high points to ensure we felt heard. In fact, he used the exact words that we had spoken and attributed them to each person who had said them. He made people feel heard and that he truly cared.