Good leaders tend to be better listeners than bad leaders. Moreover, good leaders tend to be able to read between the lines better than bad leaders. That is to say good leaders can insightfully read and interpret data, people’s actions, attitudes, and circumstances. Good leaders can better determine meaning from what is not being said or written than can bad leaders.

For example, take the following puzzle: R/E/A/D/I/N/G. Some people might analyze the word “reading” and the line between each letter and interpret the puzzle to mean “reading between the lines.” They would be correct. Look more intently and see that “lines between reading” would also be correct.

      Leaders who continually state the obvious, make points that have already been made, or state unnecessary points prove they are inattentive, lack new insight, and hurt their credibility. These behaviors are often tolerated but never appreciated.

      Good leaders develop deeper degrees of insight and interpretation regarding opportunities and pitfalls not seen by lesser leaders. Their antennae work well. They connect the dots into new patterns and are able to perceive the moments when more is going on than meets the eye or the ear. Good leaders have a depth of perception that bad leaders don’t. Using this knowledge, they can develop trajectories that yield intended results. The ability to read between the lines is a learned skill.

Bad leaders have great difficulty reading between the lines because they and their ideas become the centerpiece of their communications. When their focus is all about being seen as right, informed, intelligent, and authoritative, they miss opportunities to learn what else there is to be seen. When they focus on themselves, they don’t develop the necessary sonar to read between the lines effectively, nor do they have the willingness to learn the skill.

Bad leaders see issues and people with a lack of depth and understanding because they haven’t developed the skill to see beyond what people say. Many times, what people do not say is more meaningful and important than what they do say.

Reading between the lines requires enormous concentration. Good leaders frequently demonstrate the ability to focus their minds on what other people communicate and determine what’s going on by not dwelling on what they themselves are thinking.

Effectively reading between the lines is a learned skill that sets you apart from those who can’t or won’t. Reading between the lines enables you to make more informed observations, develop more in-depth arguments, and squeeze more meaning out of what you hear or read. But it doesn’t come naturally. This skill requires practice and diligence. But once you’ve mastered reading between the lines, it can accelerate your career.

One way to learn this skill is to watch movies, video or TV programs with the audio and text feed off. Interpreting the story without the sound calls for concentration and speculation. After writing down your perceptions, ideas, and thoughts, replay the movie or program to see how accurate you are. With practice, your ability to read between the lines will greatly improve.