Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Levesque | CMC Matthew Haylow read more read more
Listen actively. Listen empathetically. Listen carefully to lead effectively.
When you hear these words uttered by a career Navy master chief who is at the top of his game, you listen up and take notes, especially when you are about to become a leader yourself.
Approximately 150 Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy petty officers (PO) absorbed the wisdom from a U.S. Navy command master chief (CMDCM) at their pre-graduation leadership discussion on Aug. 28 at the ROK Naval Education and Training Command’s (NETC) PO Education Center in Jinhae, South Korea, about the mindset and attitude of serving among NCOs.
Master Chief Matthew Haylow, Fleet Activities Chinhae (CFAC) CMDCM, imparted on these petty officers the value of this underrated but critical life skill. “If you listen well, you lay the first step of the bridge to trust between you and your team,” said Haylow, a native of Arlington, Texas. “The core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment are your guiding principles, and listening plays the outsized role in putting those core values in practice.”
Explaining that listening is a valuable skill that can be taught and learned through self-awareness, he encouraged attendees to contemplate the difference between hearing and listening, listening attentively versus absent-mindedly, and listening with compassion. “When you truly listen, you focus your attention squarely on the person talking to you in the moment,” he said. “By doing so, you really receive the information intended for you and understand what that person is saying to you. The courtesy and attention you show by listening actively will make that person feel valued and respected.”
Throughout his 25 years of service, Haylow recounted experiences with bosses who were good and bad listeners. The good ones, he said, impressed on him so much and so profoundly that he vowed to practice to become an active listener himself. In a leadership position, just as these soon-to-be second class petty officers will assume when they join the ROK Fleet, he found this skill to be immensely valuable in leading effectively. “The highest level of listening is listening with empathy,” Haylow emphasized. “When you put yourself in their position and understand where they come from with their concerns and worries, you will be able to identify the spoken and unspoken words that will help you pinpoint what they are or are not telling you. And that leads to the correct decision you have to make as a leader.”
Haylow’s discussion on this leadership skill resonated with the graduating NCOs, as they engaged with him through questions and answers on the topic. They also had an opportunity to listen and speak to four ROK Navy master chiefs: Kwon Gi-won, NETC CMC; Seo Seong-taek, ROK Naval Academy CMC; Lee Guk-han, Submarine Force Command CMC, and Kim Byong-ho, Naval Basic Training Group CMC. Their combined century-plus of Navy careers provide these future leaders with leadership knowledge and insights.
| Date Taken: | 08.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2024 22:45 |
| Story ID: | 481230 |
| Location: | KR |
| Hometown: | ARLINGTON, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Actively Listen to Lead the Right Way, by LCDR Hien Vu, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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