Listening & Leadership Skills for the Urban Male

The diversity, opportunity and excitement offered by cities like New York, Boston and Chicago are appealing to people from all walks of life. Aspiring professionals and entertainers often relocate from rural or suburban areas into urban areas. Students are attracted to the intellectual and cultural life of large cities. Yet urban life, with its crowds and fast pace, present unique challenges when it comes to civility. Combine this with the testosterone-driven machismo that sometimes infiltrates male culture and social etiquette, and the results can be intense, even violent. Men who reside in urban areas need to practice sound listening and leadership skills to effectively build relationships and resolve conflict.
  1. Deescalate

    • Something as simple as stepping on another person's foot or accidentally brushing up against him can turn into a serious brawl if the involved parties are not careful. It's important for men to know how to deescalate conflict before it becomes unmanageable. This requires first recognizing your own increased excitement and mentally checking in with yourself. When men are faced with threatening situations, they often revert to a "fight or flight" response that typically ends in violent confrontation. Ways to avoid this include exhibiting humor, lowering your speaking voice, maintaining eye contact and maintaining a relaxed and controlled posture.

    Establish Solidarity

    • It can be difficult to establish meaningful relationships in cities. People often move through different social circles quickly. When there are dozens of churches, schools, recreation centers and restaurants on every block, individuals are likely to not stay in one place too long. You may have only one encounter to try to establish a connection, and with the short attention span of many city-dwellers, only the first few seconds may count. Work on projecting a charismatic personality and drawing people into your own social circles.

    Cultural Sensitivity

    • There is a great deal of ethnic, religious and ideological diversity in most cities. Exercise cultural sensitivity in all of your social interactions. Learn a bit about the various communities that you come into contact with. If you want to do business in a particular neighborhood or to establish yourself as a community leader, learn as a much as possible about the community's diverse inhabitants. Keeping abreast of community developments, political trends and demographic changes can help you make informed decisions regarding both your business and personal plans.

    Assertiveness

    • Find the balance between aggressive and passive behavior. Being assertive means voicing your needs and ensuring they get met while at the same time respecting the needs of others. Don't accept abuse or mistreatment, but avoid being too pushy at the wrong moment. Exercise discretion in when and how to assert yourself. Discerning the proper social protocol for any given situation will help you make friends, establish connections and enjoy success in the city.

Learnify Hub © www.0685.com All Rights Reserved