Of all skills of leadership, listening is the most valuable -- and the one least understood," wrote Heath Herber of the Herber Company.

Two world leaders captured this truth when President Woodrow Wilson said, "The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people."

England's World War II Prime Minister Winston Churchill defined leadership saying, "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak and courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."

Regardless of whether it's Burien's bustling business district improvements or Des Moines Marina construction facelift, expansion of Tukwila's South Center Shopping, or City of Sea Tac's enhancement of nature's Angle Lake Park, or an average family struggling with today's poor economy, one truth remains, it takes a whole bunch of listening and team work to make good things happen.

As precocious generations established the frame of our communities and today's leaders paint that artwork canvas of details to pull a community together, so will our children and grandchildren provide either a healthy, or unhealthy, environment in their time to come, based largely upon the foundation we build.

So, why get on such a bandstand of things that might happen way down the road in the future? Because time rolls by so fast it's suddenly the future when we live with consequences of past decision makers.

Des Moines History Book, "One Hundred Years of the Waterland Community," (Richard Kennedy, Melanie Draper, Grechen Schmidt) reads, "The community was very important to the residents of Des Moines before incorporation. Service clubs carried the ball to get things done or called to attention of proper authorities."

The women's Booster Club seemed to be the first community-type service club organized in 1907 and later named the Enterprise Club. Their first project was to help lay planks for sidewalks in town that the men's Commercial Club purchased.

Have you noticed that big square white building known as the Odd Fellows Hall (IOOF) on the corner of South 225th Street at 7th Avenue? It was built in 1909 and dedicated in 1912. In those days they made things sturdy, placing double inside wood walls to the inside structure and it's in good shape today.

To gain early 1900's perspective of the world; Average USA life expectancy was 47-years, only 14 percent of homes had bathtubs, 8 percent had telephones, there were 8,000 cars in the USA and 144 miles of paved roads. Speed limits were 10 MPH, Average wages 22 cents per hour or $200-$400 per year, Sugar, 4 cents/pound, Eggs/14 cents/dozen, Coffee/15 cents/pound. Women washed their hair once a month using Borax or egg yolks for shampoo. Las Vegas, Nevada population was 30

That big white 102-year old IOOF building still serves as a meeting place for membership and unique place for private event rentals - thanks to past volunteers who listened and created it and today's volunteers who listen and preserve it.

For several months volunteers Larry Minkler and Jesse Whaley have devoted hours of labor upgrading this icon of community history such as restoration of windows, reconstructing a new kitchen with spankin' new appliances, fresh paint, new floor coverings, spiffied up main entrance with new fireproof doors and made an old narrow inside stairway more accessible.

Community was very important to the residents of Des Moines before incorporation. It's that community spirit that attracts and encourages others to protect, preserve and love living here.

As to being a good listener, tell the truth, often we're only listening to our mind thinking what we're going to say back - as soon as they stop talking to take a deep breath.

When the popular television star Judge Judy senses court subjects are not listening she proclaims, "You have one-mouth and two-ears for a purpose - to listen twice as much as you talk."

"Seek first to understand - then to be understood," said "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" guru Steven Covey.

Community spirit grows stronger when we listen.

President Calvin Coolidge said, "No one ever listened themselves out of a job." I suspect that's true of love, marriage and friendship - -and maybe even war.

Today's Thought: "Life is like a coin, you can spend it anyway you want, but you can only spend it once."