In the YouTube video βLearn to Speak Last,β Simon Sinek discusses a few leadership lessons we can learn from the late Nelson Mandela.
Nelson Mandela is universally regarded as a great leader. As the son of a tribal chief, he attended many tribal meetings as a young boy.
Mandela noticed that the tribal leaders always sat in a circle so everyone could see each other. There was no βhead of the tableβ and it appeared that everyone was in an equal position of power to each other.
The other thing Mandela remembered was that his father was the last one to speak. He always let every tribal leader express their opinions first. His father listened intently and asked lots of questions.
By allowing all of the tribal leaders to speak first, everyone felt they had been heard. All of the leaders felt they had contributed and what they had to say was important. In addition, his father had the benefit of hearing everyone elseβs opinion before expressing his own.
Nelsonβs father taught him this: the skill you need to develop is to keep your opinions to yourself until the very end. If someone says something you agree with, do not nod your head in agreement. If they say something you do not agree with, do not shake your head in disbelief. As a leader, your job is to listen and ask questions so you understand the situation from the other personβs perspective. Once you understand the situation from multiple perspectives, then it is time for you to make a decision as the leader.
Developing the skill to speak last is not easy, but it is important. Once you demonstrate this skill people may see you in a different light. Maybe they will see you as a more effective leader?
