Listening as a Leadership Strategy with James Misner

"I think we overestimate the importance of knowing and underestimate the power of listening." - James Misner

What if the biggest thing holding back real change is the way we try to create it? In this conversation of Transformative Leadership Conversations, I speak with James Misner — a leader, storyteller, and deep thinker who challenges how we show up for others, especially those on the margins. His perspective is both disarming and inspiring. James pushes us to rethink our assumptions about helping, belonging, and transformation — and why presence might just be more powerful than any plan. This episode is a call to slow down, to stay curious, and to build something deeper than solutions: real human connection.

You’ll hear us discuss:

• Why belonging isn’t just a warm feeling but a foundational need that must come before trust, belief, or any lasting change.
• How systems that focus on outcomes instead of relationships can unintentionally harm the very people they are meant to support.
• The importance of being willing to walk with someone through their pain and uncertainty, rather than trying to rescue them with quick fixes.
• What can shift when we stop treating people as problems to solve and start seeing them as neighbors with stories, strengths, and dignity.
• James’s personal journey of letting go of the pressure to always have the right answer and choosing instead to offer presence and patience.
• How discomfort and tension can be invitations to stay and engage more deeply, rather than reasons to step back.
• The quiet but radical impact of showing up consistently, without an agenda, simply to let someone know they’re not alone.

Resources

James Misner on The Kipos Group | LinkedIn

Winnie da Silva on LinkedIn | On the Web | Substack | Email - winnie@winnifred.org