2 Lessons from "Sounds of the Forest"

Harvard Business Review posted years back, about the Parables of Leadership. We would definitely recommend leaders to take a look at this article. There are many great lessons that we could all learn from.

In our post this week, we would like to particularly summarize the leadership session on the "Sounds of the Forest", and to also make an attempt to derive our own version of sales lesson as well.

Before we do that, here is the "Sound of the Forest" :

Back in the third century A.D., the King Ts’ao sent his son, Prince T’ai, to the temple to study under the great master Pan Ku. Because Prince T’ai was to succeed his father as king, Pan Ku was to teach the boy the basics of being a good ruler. When the prince arrived at the temple, the master sent him alone to the Ming-Li Forest. After one year, the prince was to return to the temple to describe the sound of the forest.

When Prince T’ai returned, Pan Ku asked the boy to describe all that he could hear. “Master,” replied the prince, “I could hear the cuckoos sing, the leaves rustle, the hummingbirds hum, the crickets chirp, the grass blow, the bees buzz, and the wind whisper and holler.” When the prince had finished, the master told him to go back to the forest to listen to what more he could hear. The prince was puzzled by the master’s request. Had he not discerned every sound already?

For days and nights on end, the young prince sat alone in the forest listening. But he heard no sounds other than those he had already heard. Then one morning, as the prince sat silently beneath the trees, he started to discern faint sounds unlike those he had ever heard before. The more acutely he listened, the clearer the sounds became. The feeling of enlightenment enveloped the boy. “These must be the sounds the master wished me to discern,” he reflected.

When Prince T’ai returned to the temple, the master asked him what more he had heard. “Master,” responded the prince reverently, “when I listened most closely, I could hear the unheard—the sound of flowers opening, the sound of the sun warming the earth, and the sound of the grass drinking the morning dew.” The master nodded approvingly. “To hear the unheard,” remarked Pan Ku, “is a necessary discipline to be a good ruler."

Lesson About Leadership

A good leader has to learn to listen closely to the people’s hearts, hearing their feelings uncommunicated, pains unexpressed, and complaints not spoken of, can he hope to inspire confidence in his people, understand when something is wrong, and meet the true needs of his employees. The demise of companies comes when leaders listen only to superficial words and do not penetrate deeply into the souls of the people to hear their true opinions, feelings, and desires.”

Lesson About Sales

In order to success in sales, one of the core skills an individual requires is Listening. What this parable has taught us that listening superficially are simply not enough. Just like a great leader, a great sales would need to listen between the lines, listen to the body language, listen wholeheartedly for concerns and signs of the prospect's business challenges.

We should refrain from listening for what we want to hear, but rather, should listen for what the prospects are expecting us to understand.

How often in networking sessions or trade shows do we introduce each other, only to forget their name seconds later!!!

This parable taught us not to listen with intent, but to listen with our hearts.

"refrain from listening for what we want to hear, but rather, should listen for what the prospects are expecting us to understand."

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What are your thoughts about this week's post? We certainly would benefit from hearing from you.

Cherry-O!

#Awareness