It was four plus years ago. I had the chance to meet a future leader who didn't know her potential, because the market wasn't ready for her and her style of leadership.

In short, she was a hair dresser with no formal management training. But she knew something that few leaders that I have counseled over the past 3 decades knew -- how to truly listen. And I mean truly listen.  In short, she had honed her listening and facilitating skills by running her hands through her customers' hair. And while doing that, she learned how to hear their concerns, understand their issues and opportunities, and with that knowledge, she could talk with them about what truly mattered to them. The result -- she became an expert in 'social networking' and 'community building.'

Now you are asking: how can a hair dresser with no formal management training, no MBA from an ivy league school and no experience running a firm know anything about managing a company?

My answer: in a world in which customers, employees and investors can turn to each other using today's social networking and community tools (blogs and discussion forums) to ask questions, share opinions and gain insights -- listening, facilitating and moderating are the skills of tomorrow's great leaders, not the command and control capabilities of yesteryear.

Although every one of us knows that these are the skills that are, and have always been, essential to building a vibrant community (whether in-person or online), most of us have NOT yet connected the dots -- that these are the SAME skills that are also necessary to build tomorrow's highly connected, collaborative and community-based enterprises.

So what does it mean to those of you who have not had formal hair dressing training? My answer, you just may want to take a few lessons from your local barber or hair dresser about 'true listening' as they run their hands through your hair and get to know you personally.  Because, in an economy where customers can go to anyone to have their needs met (whether for cars, phone service, or software solutions), there is no shortcut for learning the skills of tomorrow -- facilitating, moderating and listening -- be it to employees, customers or investors, and using traditional social networking and community management skills to succeed.   So start your journey today and take a lesson or two from one of the best. These people know how to make you feel important and ready to conquer the world.  - Barry 4/30/06