The correct answer is … that both are important
Know when to speak … and when to shut up! Good listening is based on a subtle balance between moments of attentive silence and moments where you participate and move the discussion forward.
The challenge is to identify when you need to speak and when it is better to remain silent
You should speak up if your intention is to encourage the person who is talking to give more details, clarify their thoughts, or develop their ideas. In some cases — especially when faced with an introverted personality — listening also means taking some control of the conversation.
Refrain from speaking if your remarks risk diverting attention from what the other person is proposing or if they are only intended to put forward your own ideas. A leader knows how to keep quiet in order to highlight the remarks of his interlocutors, especially when the conversation is not just between two individuals.
Listen, learn … then lead
Four-Star General Stanley McChrystal shares what he learned about leadership during his decades in the military. How can you create a sense of shared purpose among people of all ages and all kinds of skills? By listening and learning – and by addressing the possibility of failure.
Stanley McChrystal, TED Talk 2011
Talk, Inc.
Boris Groysberg et Michael Slind (Harvard Business Review Press, 2012)