Journalists are trained to ask questions, absorb information and come to conclusions based on the information available. In order to do that, it’s important to let interviewees finish their thoughts before responding to what they say.
Longtime NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcaster Michael Barkann believes executives should do the same. During a recent leadership webinar hosted by AchieveNEXT, the leadership development company behind the midmarket-focused CFO networking group CFO Alliance, Barkann argued that active listening is one of the most overlooked skills in leadership.
After decades of interviewing athletes and coaches, he said the best communicators share a common trait: They focus on understanding before responding. For executives, Barkann argued that being able to juggle information while decision-making is the same in his role as an award-winning journalist and broadcaster, but the lesson is much simpler.
"Listen to understand and not to talk," he said, encouraging not just the CFOs in attendance, but all business leaders there to stop thinking about their next response while someone else is speaking.
Leadership starts with listening
Barkann also shared his thoughts on how active listening is a deliberate choice for most. Too often, he said, conversations throughout life and business fall victim to each person focusing on preparing a rebuttal instead of understanding what the person they’re talking to is trying to communicate.
“I had a guy that I used to work with, who used to finish my sentences [and] it used to drive me nuts,” he said.
“[Sometimes] we're completely distracted when we should be in the moment, and we should be present for our colleagues,” Barkann continued, when speaking about communication in leadership. “Just listen, back off a little bit, understand what is coming at you, so you can aptly respond after the person gives you their answer."
Great communicators prepare before pressure arrives
While active listening was a central theme, Barkann tied the skill to another lesson he has observed throughout his broadcasting career: how preparation determines performance.
He illustrated the point through the story of Olympic speed skater Dan Jansen, whose pursuit of a gold medal stretched across three Winter Olympics after repeated disappointment and personal tragedy. The lesson, Barkann said, applies well beyond sports.
"Sports is just like business because people are counted on to deliver," he said. He went on to explain how, whether it is a baseball player stepping to the plate in the ninth inning or a quarterback leading a final drive, expectations do not change simply because the pressure increases.
Executives face similar moments throughout their careers. Stakeholder relationships, financing decisions, M&A deals and unexpected crises often become defining tests of leadership. Success in those situations, according to Barkann, cannot be rooted in improvisation. The best, he says, use preparation built over months or years.
“It's so easy to check out of conversations where we think, 'I got this down.' But the fact is, especially in a work environment... active listening is so important.”
