“Every so often a Celtics game would heat up so that it became more than a physical game or even mental game, and would be magical.  That feeling is difficult to describe, and I certainly never talked about it when I was playing.  When it happened, I could feel my play rise to a new level.” – Bill Russell (key basketball player of the Boston Celtics team that won 11 championships in 13 years)

We hear about certain people who reach a level of “greatness,” like Bill Russell.  We wonder how do they do that and wish we could bring our own “game” in life to that level.   With athletes it is well known that getting to the top of their game is more than just being physically fit.  Your top athletes are able to go to deep states of attention and awareness that allow them to perform at a whole other level.

Dr. C. Otto Scharmer is a Senior Lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and also founding co-director of the Emerging Leaders for Innovations Across Systems (ELIAS).  He has researched about how top awareness states can be applied to leadership.  His book “U Theory” goes into greater depth about his study and application.

Dr. Scharmer states, “We know a great deal about what leaders do and how they do it.  But we know very little about the inner place, the source from which they operate.  Successful leadership depends on the quality of attention and intention that the leader brings to any situation.  Two leaders in the same circumstances doing the same thing can bring about completely different outcomes, depending on the inner place from which each operates.”  Dr. Scharmer has studied how leaders focus their attention and has discovered four levels of listening that form the root to awareness, which eventually leads to performance.

As I have reflected on Dr. Scharmer’s four types of listening, it has made me think about how I make decisions.  The times that I have made the best decisions are when I have disciplined myself to go to the deepest level of listening.  Below is an application of the four levels of listening as I have seen applied to decision making.

Listening 1: Downloading

Listening 1 is where you do something based on what you already know.  When I try to make a decision at listening 1, it tends to be based on a habit of thought that I was taught in my past.  For example, if I am trying to make a decision about how to spend money, these taught concepts may come to mind:  “A responsible person saves their money for a rainy day.” Or “It is better to give than to receive.”  My mind is not listening.  Instead, I am just trying to follow the rules of my past.  So, I go into auto pilot and do what I have always done, whether or not it is the effective choice.  Or, I get stuck in my decision making if I feel that the taught concepts of my past contradict each other.

Listening 2: Factual

At level 2, I try to make a decision, based just on the facts.  I listen to data outside of me, but turn off my inner voice.  What is the most logical choice?  However, I know that facts and figures give only one side of the story.  When I make a decision based just on facts, I often miss the awareness of greater opportunities.  For example with business, we can make monetary decisions just based on spreadsheets, but is this money really creating the most effective outcome?

Listening 3: Empathetic

At listening 3, I listen to other people and understand their experience.  This gives greater insight.  I now move outside of myself and beyond just my own agenda.  The synergy of relationship pushes my understanding and awareness to a deeper level.  However, at this level I must be careful not to make a decision based solely on the experience of the other person, which is not the full picture.  My awareness must still go deeper.

Listening 4: Generative

At listening 4, I listen deeper within myself.  This is where creativity and new solutions I never realized before happen.  My values, fact finding and input from others all combine as a resource in this level but there is a greater understanding that comes from this deeper level of listening within.  When applied, this is where peak performance happens.  Not only is a better decision found but a whole new level of understanding and foundation for generating a better solution is spawned.  And the best part is the sense of peace, quietness, confidence and authenticity that accompany this level of awareness.

Listening can seem so simple, yet there is a depth to it that is so rich if we take the time to develop it.  It is a discipline that takes focused practice and work.  But it might just be the most beneficial art that you ever achieve.  It could just take you to peak performance.