Civic Leadership: the Power of Listening

Civic Leadership is something that everyone should understand, but only a few people can grasp the idea. This is because of the significant role that civic leadership plays in addressing some of the most pressing issues that society faces today.

When an individual assumes the role of a civil leader, it is not just a title accorded to them to differentiate them from the rest of society. Instead, it is a position that comes with a considerable responsibility and expectation to discharge their duties as per the needs of a given community (West). Here, leaders are expected to drive the decision-making process about several issues affecting the public; hence they should be capable of arriving at the right decisions that positively impact the lives of their followers.

An essential quality that leaders should be in a position to provide adequate civic leadership in their respective areas of responsibility is the power of listening to those one leads. This implies that a leader is obligated to create the best environment in which they can work with the community and the teams for the joint objective of meeting a civil duty. A civic leader must strive to be the best of their versions so that they can motivate those that work under them and the public to meet the goals and objectives of the relationship, especially those that relate to the public good. This can be possible if they cultivate a culture of active listening to the followers. In other words, civil leaders should be able to listen to the views of their followers and make a deliberate effort to understand their concerns or problems. As a result, they are expected to be effective communicators and show compassion to their followers by "listening with fascination" (West).

Compassionate and inclusive leadership are essential for a leader to organize the followers in a way that is geared towards the attainment of a given objective. When a leader is compassionate and inclusive, they see the value in the followers and take the lead to bring the best out of them for the common good. Therefore, civil leadership is about a leader using the followers to fulfill a duty.

An example of a leader who has demonstrated remarkable power of listening to their civic engagement is the Mayor of my City. In most of her relationships with the public, the Mayor does not hesitate to consult the followers on various matters regarding the City's safety, health, and beautification. She is a leader who practiced follower involvement in whatever she advanced for the benefit of the residents. For instance, drug abuse is a significant issue within the City, especially those cases that are related to opioids. Her leadership signature regarding this issue is to involve families of the individuals affected by the addiction problem. She always made personal journeys to consult with these families and understand how they have been affected, so she drafted her policy based on the family narrations. Additionally, she always consulted residents on matters related to security and safety and never hesitated to embrace the petitions of the public regarding security and disposal of waste in the town. In her case, she was an active listener who strove to understand residents' experiences and make policy decisions based on these interactions.

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Works Cited

Michael West: “Compassionate and Inclusive Leadership” .Youtube. Michael West: Compassionate and Inclusive Leadership, The Kings Fund, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrPmMwg9X8s.