Tatay's Vintage (80's) Sony Headphones |
Earlier this year, I attended a leadership development
program and I vividly remember how we, the attendees were all surprised when
90-95% of us raised our hand when the speaker asked how many listen to podcast
or audio-materials in our commute.
I didn't expect this habit to be that common among people in
leadership positions. On second thought, it's not at all surprising for leaders
to be listening to podcast. Why? Two things. They don't want to waste time and
they're lifelong learners.
Here are my suggestions (if you're convinced that in order
to become a better leader, you ought to do this too):
1) Invest in a good
pair of headset
In choosing a headset, consider three things - its
durability, the sound clarity and your safety. Some headphones' noise
cancelling feature is so effective, you'll lose touch of what's happening in
your surroundings while listening. That's dangerous.
2) Listen to the right
materials
I'm not against listening to music especially if it soothes
your soul, calms your mind and relaxes your heart but if you really want to
redeem your commute to help you grow as a leader, don't be a passive listener.
Listen to materials that will help you hone your skills, strengthen your
convictions and trigger your imagination to think new and creative ideas.
3) Listen to the
"Podcast of the Podcasts"
Thanks to today's technology, we can now listen to
audio-bible. I know what you're thinking. It's so boring and there are other better materials to listen to. If that's how you think, you're not convinced that God's wisdom
is "transcendently" superior.
If you want to be wiser than your enemies, have more
understanding than all your teachers, understand more than the aged (Psalm 119:98-100),
listen to the Bible. If you want to live a life that's truly life, in peace and
prosperity (Proverbs 3:2), listen to the bible. If you want to be like a tree
planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season and whose leaf
does not wither and if you want to prosper in all that you do (Psalm 1:2), listen
to the Bible.
It’s your source of truth, your moral compass in this world of
relativism. I could go on and on and on, talking about its benefits but still,
I won't have enough time.
So there you have it. Do you see yourself listening to
podcast and making the most of every opportunity?