The Power of Listening

Listening is an important communication superpower that is often underappreciated. Great leaders distinguish themselves by their ability to listen. There are three levels of listening: passive, active, and collaborative. Passive listening is our default mode, where we pretend to listen and wait for our turn to speak. Active listening involves focused intent and empathy towards the speaker. Collaborative listening is the ultimate level, where we not only listen attentively but also actively collaborate and learn from the speaker. To elevate our listening skills, we can employ three strategies: focus on the other person and your goals, ask lots of questions to encourage deeper engagement, and track the ratio of talking to listening. By practicing these strategies, we can become better listeners.