The Power of Listening

Marlon Brando said one of the best things that I’ve heard about actors.  He said, “An actor is a guy who if you ain’t talking about him he ain’t listening” — which has been my experience.

Listening is a critical component of acting, but from a business perspective there needs to be one step prior to great listening to be effective.  You have to surround yourself with people who are better, smarter, more creative than you so you really have a full appreciation for the power of listening.  

The secret for me is finding people who complement each other well, finding the right balance and then sitting at the center of them and absorbing their knowledge, their expertise, their talents, and just driving them forward and really being kind of an empty vessel for the larger talents of everyone who surround you and who really form the real structure of the organization.