Active Listening and Team Leadership | BizBuzz – E#-121
Welcome back to BizBuzz! In this episode, host Sreedhar Kaluva sits down with Bernie Kerschbaum, founder and CEO of Skalios and a Vistage chair, to explore what it really means to listen, understand, and uplift the people around us.
The conversation begins with a simple question: when you ask someone, “How are you?”, are you actually listening to the answer? As Bernie explains, we often use the question as nothing more than a greeting rather than taking the time to understand what the other person is really saying. This episode explores why genuine listening is an important part of building stronger relationships and more connected teams.
First, Bernie introduces four of the seven characteristics of the Love to Uplift avatar: curiosity, awareness, active listening, and authenticity and vulnerability. These characteristics provide a framework for understanding how individuals can create stronger connections and contribute to a more supportive environment.
Next, the discussion focuses on curiosity and awareness. Being genuinely curious about other people and remaining aware of what is happening around us can help leaders better understand their teams. Rather than making assumptions, curiosity encourages people to ask questions, while awareness helps them recognize what others may be experiencing.
Another key topic is active listening. Bernie explains why listening goes beyond simply hearing someone’s words. When people feel that they are genuinely being heard and understood, it can help create stronger relationships and build trust within a team.
Furthermore, the episode explores authenticity and vulnerability. Bernie discusses how being genuine and willing to show vulnerability can help create an environment where people feel more comfortable being themselves. Over time, this can contribute to stronger trust and better collaboration.
The conversation also highlights the importance of helping each other rise. According to Bernie, teams become stronger when people support one another rather than focusing only on individual success. When trust is established within a group, people can work together in ways that allow the team to accomplish far more than any one person could achieve alone.
For business owners and team leaders, this episode offers practical insights into leadership, trust, communication, active listening, and building stronger teams. It encourages listeners to think differently about everyday conversations and consider whether they are truly listening when they ask someone how they are doing.
Stay tuned for the next BizBuzz episode, where Sreedhar and Bernie will explore the remaining three characteristics of the Love to Uplift avatar.
📩 Questions for Bernie? Reach him at bernie@scalios.com.
🔗 Explore MyWorkBelt: https://myworkbelt.com
In conclusion, this episode provides valuable insights into curiosity, awareness, active listening, authenticity, vulnerability, trust, and team leadership. If you lead a team or run your own business and want to build stronger relationships and a more connected team, this BizBuzz conversation is worth a listen.