Leadership and Values in Language Education - Al Akhawayn ...

91Proceedings of the 27 th MATE Annual Conference• know how to act as a communication champion rather than just as aninformation processor;• use key elements of effective listening and understanding;• recognize and apply the difference between dialogue and discussion;• select an appropriate communication channel for (his) leadershipmessage;• use communication feedback and realize its importance for leadership.1. Communication and active listening: Rule N° ONE for a successful leaderIn order to communicate effectively, a leader is supposed to realize that his task isnot just a matter of informing about events, actions or plans in a simplistic andconventional way; rather, he has to bear in mind that much more effort is neededto have a full command of a wide range of activities and strategies that couldmake his vision clear in the mind of his subordinates or followers. Additionally,he has to be an active listener so as to make his team feel more important,dynamic and deeply involved. It is worth noting that active listening is not as easyas it seems; rather, it is a complex process because it crucially needs “gettingprepared to listen, staying involved with the communication, keeping an openmind while listening and reviewing and evaluating after the event”.(Communicating Today, pp. 41-42).This process could eventually make them like him and adopt what he says withconfidence, pride and enthusiasm. This amounts to the conclusion that one of themost important tools in a leader’s communication process is listening. Asmentioned above, listening involves the skill of grasping and interpreting amessage’s genuine meaning. Only then can a leader succeed in his transmission ofthe message. Thus, it is generally admitted that listening is an activity; it requiresattention, energy, and skill. The act of “good listening affirms others, builds trust,and suppresses personal judgements that shape perceptions. Listening is arequirement for leader communication, for doing better work, and for enablingothers to do better work”.(Daft, ibid:164).It is a fact that communication is generally viewed as a process by whichinformation is transferred from a sender to a receiver. However, this is not the endof the story because many potential problems of misunderstanding could arise dueto other factors such as attitudes, conflicting concerns and different backgroundknowledge. These elements, among others, are more likely to create barriers to asmooth communication of the intended meaning or message. In effect, the