Readers Vs. Listeners

When Dwight D. Eisenhower was commanding the Allied forces, he would hold press conferences on what was occurring on the European battlefields.

A half-hour before them, his staff requested that the media submit its handwritten questions, allowing Eisenhower to prepare adequately-rehearsed answers. With his scripted, tightly-worded responses, he became the press' darling, in full command, articulate and charming.

Later, when he became president, Eisenhower abandoned these procedures and began answering reporters' inquiries on the fly. He quickly went from a media darling to someone who never addressed the questions, butchering the language and appearing out of touch.

According to the great Peter Drucker, the foremost expert on management theory and author of 39 books, Eisenhower was a reader, someone who needed preparation time to navigate various situations.

In contrast, John F. Kennedy was a listener, someone who would pay close attention to the question and develop a well-informed answer. Drucker believes you cannot be both simultaneously, and the most critical component to managing oneself is knowing exactly what your strengths and weaknesses are.

Our greatest challenge as leaders, managers and teachers lies in our self-evaluation. Drucker calls this "Managing Oneself."

When we correctly evaluate our strengths and weaknesses, we improve. When we misjudge these areas, like Eisenhower, we fall well short.

Early in our careers, regardless of position, we begin with the acceptance of not knowing much. We work hard with an understanding it'll take incredible energy to move from incompetence to mediocrity. Once we reach that level, improving doesn't quite require the same energy, only honestly understanding our strengths and weaknesses.

Drucker suggests the best way to honest self-evaluation consists of asking these questions:

1. How Do I Preform Best? Am I a reader or a listener? How do I learn?

2. What are my values? Drucker does not want this to be a question of ethics, rather the "mirror test." What kind of person do I WANT to see each morning in the mirror?

3. Where Do I Belong? Successful careers are often not planned. They develop over time, finding the right niche for a particular skillset.

4. Responsibilty for Relationships. Accept the fact you need others to help and invest in knowing their strengths and weaknesses. Then, work on helping them improve as they help you.

5. The Second Half of Your Life. Develop a parallel career. Use your knowledge to help others, devote time each week to this endeavor. By broadening the approach, new skills are found and then developed. Most people volunteer and give back, which then allows a new career path.

In any competition, the opponent is never the other team or person, only yourself.

Once you master your skills with honest self-reflection, attaining success becomes a lot easier.