4
ACT
• • •
Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action has arrived, stop thinking and go in.
—Napoleon Bonaparte
There is a time to decode, and then there is a time to act—in that order. Taking action after you’ve followed the first three steps in this book is the difference maker when it comes to listening. That means signaling to others your commitment to help them. One act alone can send someone the message that they are valued, important, and more than just a means to an end.
Think back on a time at work when you told someone you needed them to act on something, but they never did. How did that make you feel? Unheard? Unimportant?
Now, think back to a time when you told someone you needed them to act on something, and they did ...
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