Nelson Mandela

 Nelson Mandela across the world is universally regarded as a great leader.

He was actually the son of a tribal chief, and he was asked one day, how did you learn to be a great leader?

And he responded that he would go with his father to tribal meetings.

And he remembers two things when his father meet with other elders.

One, they would always sit in a circle.

And two, his father was always the last to speak.

We see in boardrooms every day of the week. Even people who consider themselves good leaders who may actually be decent leaders will walk into a room and say, here is the problem. 

Here is what I think but I am interested in your opinion. Let us go around the room.

It’s too late.

The skill to hold your opinions to yourself until everyone has spoken does two things.

One, it gives everybody else the feeling that they have been heard.

And two, you get the benefit of hearing what everybody else has to think, before you render your opinion.