But law-respecting public officials are more effective when they have . . . A willingness to listen . Blind devotion to one's position is a certain guarantee for disaster. An ability to listen forestalls these disasters. And that can be difficult when differing views lack coherence or stem from misunderstanding or prejudice.
Good listeners weigh the validity of the other person's position.
Having listened, public officials must demonstrate . . . A willingness to make hard decisions . Elected officials regularly make decisions about tough issues-budget priorities, personnel issues, and zoning requests come to mind. Successsful elected officials can separate private pain from public gain to make good decisions. And that requires . . .