Dec 12, 2016 08:26 PM EST By Audri Taylors, UniversityHerald Reporter

One of the most important skills need to be mastered by a great leader is his listening skills. Employees want to be heard and they want leaders who do not just hear them but really take the time to listen to them. If you want to be a great leader, you should also understand the value of active listening so that you can make the most of what other people will have to share. And in order to improve your listening skills, here are some of the things you can do.

Focus on the person talking

Be in the moment and focus your mental attention to the person speaking. There should be a conscious effort to place distractions aside because this person you are talking to deserves your attention. If you must, put aside your smart phone or laptop or anything that can be a cause of distraction.

Open your mind and turn down your inner voice

Your inner voice might be the one that could prevent your brain from listening to the person. Be more objective rather than subjective and be mindful of the information coming in.

Clarify or confirm what you just heard

According to psychologists, this is a recommended way in order to avoid or alleviate conflict. To make the person feel you are listening and are paying attention, you can rephrase his or her statement for clarification.

Do a follow up

Towards the end of the conversation, you can determine whether anything that transpired during the discussion needs an action to be performed. This will make the other person feel that you are really concerned about the information they have shared. Also take the time to thank them for sharing and tell them about the most significant or valuable things you have learned from the conversation. This is how you can also encourage them to listen to you when it's your time to share

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