The Importance of Receptivity in Leadership
Receptivity is our ability and willingness to receive or accept ideas and perspectives. Whether we are conscious of it or not, everyday we have a choice to be receptive toward new and different inputs and experiences, and how we choose to interpret them can lead to new opportunities or persistent judgment and lack of growth.
Fixed mindsets can be damaging. When we limit ourselves to our individual point of view, we prevent opportunities for collaboration and learning new things. If we can consider new perspectives from various sources and inspirations, we enable a whole new world of possibilities by combining ideas and building off of different thought processes. In general, receptivity is important because it provides an endless ability for potential.
If receptivity is beneficial in an everyday perspective, then it has a great ability to impact the workplace as well.
Why is being a receptive leader important? Here are my top 3 reasons:
Builds trust. It signifies to employees our willingness to continuously learn, be open to feedback, and hold ourselves accountable.
Empowers employees. When leaders take the time to genuinely consider an employee’s perspective, thought process, and idea, the employee feels comfortable with sharing their input and empowered to continue providing creative perspective.
Enhances communication. If employees feel that their input is listened to, respected, and valued, they are more willing to effectively and regularly communicate their perspectives, ideas, and needs.
Let’s contemplate a scenario that highlights the impact of receptivity. Imagine you are in a workplace where you have mustered up the courage to present your boss with an idea to fix a new challenge your company is currently facing. You spent time thinking through a creative solution to this issue, as solutions in the past have all been similarly executed and only provided momentary fixes. When you go to present your idea to your boss, they are dismissive, disengaged, and unimpressed. You leave the meeting feeling like your input is unimportant, and that your position at your company is rigid and stagnant. When other problems arise in the future that are outside of your immediate job description, you avoid spending any time pondering them and expect the same perspectives and solutions to be applied.
Now, consider what that same scenario might look like with a receptive leader: In a meeting with your boss, you discuss your idea to solve the company’s current challenge. You explain how your unique work experience enabled you to come up with a creative solution that differs from what is typically executed. During your conversation, your boss is attentive, asks follow-up questions, and provides additional ideas that build off of yours, expanding the possible solution. The meeting turns into a collaborative working session, producing a viable and exciting solution for the company’s current challenge. You leave the meeting feeling empowered, valued, and interested in more opportunity for growth. The power of a receptive mindset is extraordinary. Your ability to remain open to new ideas and provide a safe and empowering space for your team creates a ripple of positive effects: collaboration, trust, accountability, enhanced communication, and innovation. You cultivate a thriving workplace that invites and values a diversity of thought and perspectives.
With The Sensitivity Paradigm™ we help leaders transform by developing their receptivity, because we understand its value and potential.
Learn more: https://www.humcollective.co/the-sensitivity-paradigm