Leadership Training: “Shifting Gears” (Video Blog)

One concept that makes Leader Effectiveness Training stand out from other leadership training workshops is a concept that Dr. Thomas Gordon developed called “Shifting Gears”. “Shifting Gears” is a skill that allows a leader to Actively Listen to the other after they have sent an I-Message. The likelihood that the other person will hear the leader and change their behavior is much greater if they Active Listen to their problem. This in turns lowers the other person’s “emotional temperature” and increases their ability to problem solve – which is a central focus of effective leadership training.