Taming the Wild- Is Your Message Getting Through?

Hearing is one of the body’s five senses. But listening is an art.
- Frank Tyger

A story is told of a violinist who noticed that his playing had a hypnotic effect on his audiences. They sat motionless, as though they were in a trance. He found he had the same effect on his friends’ pets. Dogs and cats would sit spellbound while he played.

Wondering if he could cast the same spell over wild beasts, he went to a jungle clearing in Africa, took out his violin and began to play. A lion, an elephant, and a gorilla charged into the clearing, stopped to listen and sat mesmerized by the music.

Soon the clearing was filled with every kind of ferocious animal, each listening intently. Suddenly, another lion charged out of the jungle, pounced on the violinist, killing him instantly. The first lion, bewildered, asked, “Why did you do that?” The second lion cupped his paw behind his ear and replied, “What?”

While the violinist captivated many with his outstanding performances, his failure to connect with the second lion was the death of him. It is not that his performance in the jungle was any less riveting than before. He met his demise when his music fell on deaf ears.

In the world of organizational structure and leadership, appearances can be deceiving. The violinist made two false assumptions. They are similar to false assumptions that many leaders make today. The first was that because he was playing someone was listening, and the second was that all responses would be the same.

John Maxwell said, “Connection always begins with a commitment to someone else.” Are your people listening? Is your message getting through? How do you know? Consider these three motives as to why people listen to you. Your understanding of these motivations will determine the way in which you connect with them.

People listen out of duty. One of the greatest mistakes a leader can make is to assume people are listening because they like you. Organizational leaders come and go, so loyalty transcends the current face of the organization.

As a leader you will connect with others when your vision is clear. Duty that is fueled by a clearly defined vision is the gateway to connecting to your people. Brian Tracy said, “All successful men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.” And this is the outcome when you properly connect vision and duty. 

People listen out of hope. Samuel Johnson said, “Whatever enlarges hope will also exalt courage.” Have you given your people a reason to listen to you? Yes, it is a pointed question, but an intentional one. We live in challenging times and your people need not just a voice of hope, but courage to face their fears.

The morale of your organization is tied directly to your ability to connect on a level built on trust. The buy-in occurs when you relate on a human level and identify not just with their same fears, but come together with the same courage to overcome them. The bonds of a shared hope will see you through any obstacle you face.

People listen out of respect. Leaders must understand the culture of the wild and learn that if the music falls on deaf ears it can have serious consequences. The lesson for leaders is not to assume that a message delivered is a message received.

If you are going to connect with your people you must articulate vision, summon courage, and earn respect. Your message will get through loud and clear when you care as deeply about building relationships as you do about being heard.

Is your message getting through?

© Doug Dickerson