The Arthur W. Page Society opened its 21st Annual Conference today at the Westfield Marriott Conference Center with more than 150 members and guests in attendance to hear commentator, editor, teacher and Presidential advisor David Gergen talk about leadership in America.

In opening the Conference, Society President Tom Martin told the assembled senior public relations executives that the three-day meeting was about listening to key constituencies and understanding what they want and need. “We’re going to see,” he said, “how perceptions about public issues and the direction in which this country is moving can vary widely.”

Listening is a complex skill which can involve many parts of the brain, said Harvey Greisman, chair of the Conference whose theme is “Can You Hear Us Now? The Art of (Truly) Listening to Key Constituencies.” “It is a combination of (many) factors in addition to what we hear, that determines what we truly listen to, he said. “These include memory, attention and visual cues in addition to auditory processing...Listening is important because it’s at the heart of what we all do, personally and professionally − and few of us do it well.

To launch the discussions, Greisman introduced Gergen, now a professor of public service at Harvard, who picked up on the listening theme and talked about how great leaders hae been good listeners.

Gergen cited historic examples − as well as those from 30 years as advisor to four − and observed that listening and leadership are not often things that are considered together, but they are important because what he called “deep listening” is an essential component of what makes a great leader.

“Good leaders know how to make the most of their listening time,” he said. “Great leaders have always done that.”

The old “top down” form of leadership has given way to a new model, he said, that calls for leaders to empower others and to create partnerships across boundaries…It’s a more collaborative form of leadership” that is necessary because of the way we now do work…we have to move quickly and can’t wait for decisions to come from above,” he said.

We are well positioned, he observed, to take advantage of this new age of thinking for yourself and asking questions. As members of a democratic society, we are conditioned to rely on ourselves and to take initiatives, and to learn to do things together. “We must listen to others to determine shared goals and to mobilize people through trust and inspiration.”

Gergen cited the Page Society’s new book, Building Trust, as going to the heart of what is happening today in our society. It presents examples of good leaders who have learned how to listen to their constituencies.