listening SUPERPOWER podcast

Have you ever thought about how listening develops in children and how this connects with listening in leadership development? You might be surprised by what you discover from our guest today. Marva Shand-McIntosh founded the I Love to Listen Day in 2005, and it's still going strong. This day is celebrated every year on May 16th. She is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist as well as an international communication consultant who trains executive leaders, educators, youth leaders and parents in successful listening practices. As a Certified Listening Professional, Marva has presented papers at international and national conferences. She also serves as a guest lecturer on listening at various university campuses, in churches and the community. Her professional activities include memberships in the ILA and the American Speech-Language Association. I hope you are inspired with Marva just like I am in finding ways to raise the awareness of listening and inspiring communities and families on how they can listen to each other better. Even creating fun and creative ways and rituals that have long lasting effects. Enjoy listening in. "Whether or not we think we have a listening reputation, we do." - Marva Shand-McIntosh Listening SUPERPOWER Notes: 01:07 - When Marva noticed the power of listening -- and how it indeed worked 04:42 - Knowing she is a listener by heart: It was my comfort zone when I was in a group or with other individuals, I just felt more comfortable being the listener, even though I could talk up a storm. 07:40 - What is it about a leader's listening reputation: As a leader at any level of leadership, we motivate, we encourage, we send the message to the workers that you are valued, and we appreciate you. 11:02 - The impact that listening has on Marva: The most impact on me is that listening is foundation work. 15:14 - One important thing she reminds herself of: Be the first to listen and listen first. 17:24 - Understanding the development stages of listening that starts from a mother's womb 23:19 - A deeper understanding of a teenage brain and why they're responding to other voices and not so much to their parents 25:37- Learning more about the 'silent period' that we go through in the development stages of listening 27:51 - Marva talks about the 'I Love to Listen Day' and the inspiration that started this inspiration. She shares ways it is celebrated and the impact it leaves on people 34:11 - Watch out for Marva's Listening Proclamation on her website which you can send to your family, local and national government 35:54 - Marva's heartfelt message to everyone: "When you get into an interaction, be that one person to be the first one to do the listening and to listen first because you're giving someone an opportunity to be understood." Key Takeaways: "Listening is motivating; and that's what we do as leaders." - Marva Shand-McIntosh "If you can listen to teenagers, you can do it anywhere." - Marva Shand-McIntosh "Listening is hard work. It's not intuitive and it is foundational and no one thinks about the foundation." - Marva Shand-McIntosh "In language learning, when you move to another culture and you are acquiring the new language, you do go through that silent period and you are learning." - Marva Shand-McIntosh "How we know (listening) is a powerful thing? When someone is misunderstood. It is the most stinging, the most disturbing experience." - Marva Shand-McIntosh "Listening is a life and death matter in many cases. And in other cases people have missed opportunities that will never come back because your listening wasn't there." - Marva Shand-McIntosh "As a leader, be that motivator and use listening to motivate others; as a parent do the same, because I would always say if you want to change the world, go home and listen. That is a great place to start." - Marva Shand-McIntosh Notes/Mentions: Let's celebrate 'I Love to Listen Day', click here: http://www.ilovetolisten.com/contact/ Connect with Marva Shand-McIntosh: Website: http://www.ilovetolisten.com/ Connect with Raquel Ark: www.listeningalchemy.com Mobile: + 491732340722 contact@listeningalchemy.com LinkedIn Podcast email: listeningsuperpower@gmail.com

When it comes to Diversity and Inclusion, one hidden bias continues to hold businesses back: linguistic bias. This hidden bias affects much more than just non-offensive language, influencing the way we judge people from the moment they open their mouths. Where do these biases come from? How do they hinder hiring and promotion decisions? How can businesses make sure their preference for eloquent speakers in leadership doesn't create barriers for certain groups? This eye-opening talk delves deep into the issue of linguistic bias and its impact on businesses, providing insight into how this bias can be addressed and mitigated. By the end, you'll be speaking and listening to everyone around you in a whole new way. Heather Hansen helps top global professionals show up, speak up, and inspire action in a changing world. She is on a mission to empower global voices to contribute to conversations that matter – in business, politics, and life. Only through conscious, confident, and connected communication can we achieve our collective potential and peacefully solve the world's greatest challenges. Heather is a leader in the field of global English communication and she is known for being an outspoken advocate for global voices. She fights against micro-inequities related to language and accent in international teams and helps companies build communication cultures where every voice is heard. She is called upon by some of the world's largest companies to unmute leaders and teams so they can be more innovative, inclusive and efficient while adapting to modern challenges. Heather's 2018 TEDx talk titled 2 Billion Voices: How to speak bad English perfectly has had over 190,000 views and is used by many university professors and English language specialists in their own teachings. Heather is also an External Industry Expert in Communication for National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School's Executive Education programs. "The words are one thing. But there's so much more to it than that. We're really listening when we…have the cultural intelligence to understand and hear the meaning behind the message." - Heather Hansen Listening SUPERPOWER Notes: 00:46 - Heather's biggest learning moments around listening the first time she was aware of it. 03:46 - Don't know what to say?: "You don't have to say anything; you can ask some really good questions very authentically." 04:56 - Heather's mission in life: "How do we make sure everyone's voice is heard at the table so that when that brilliance is spoken, we hear it and we understand it, and we act on it?" 06:06 - The huge shift in her listening perspective: "There is no one perfect proper English. We're all navigating and negotiating meaning in every conversation." 08:59 - How her voice changed in the process of helping people find their voices: "By stepping into helping people to express themselves more authentically has allowed me to be more authentic in my own communication." 10:35 - Cultural intelligence as a significant factor for noticing the real meaning behind the message. 13:24 -The kind of support we provide for people when it comes to accents for them to be more understood, more clear and have the confidence to show up. 17:15 - Getting the stress off about the accent and just focusing on the message. 18:53 - The idea behind Heather'sTEDX talk about 2 Billion Voices: How to speak bad English perfectly 21:08 - A big tip for someone who is speaking a second language: "Be very aware of the sounds and words that are difficult for you; have a list of alternatives available." 22:45 - Highlighting the importance of honing your listening abilities. 24:09 - Understanding microaggressions and how to deal with them. 27:28 - Overcoming prejudice based on accents and ensuring you are tapping into the potential of a person. 29:47 - Facilitating awareness of language and accent in organizations with multicultural teams: "Sit down with everyone individually, get a really good feel of them, build those relationships through listening." 32:52 - A key message for leaders and organizations encapsulated in Heather's book: Unmuted: How to Show Up, Speak Up, and Inspire Action Note/Mentions: Unmuted: How to Show Up, Speak Up, and Inspire Action by Heather Hansen: https://heatherhansen.com/unmuted/ TEDX Talk - 2 Billion Voices: How to speak bad English perfectly: https://www.ted.com/talks/heather_hansen_2_billion_voices_how_to_speak_bad_english_perfectly Connect with Heather Hansen: Website: https://heatherhansen.com/ Website: https://globalspeechacademy.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hansenheather/ You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/c/heatherhansen Twitter: https://twitter.com/heatherhansen Connect with Raquel Ark: www.listeningalchemy.com Mobile: + 491732340722 contact@listeningalchemy.com LinkedIn Podcast email: listeningsuperpower@gmail.com

What are the triggers that make you boiling mad? Do you notice what happens to you and the voices in your head when you feel like someone doesn't understand you or does something "against" you? Do you want people to see and appreciate you for who you really are? And how do we authentically become fully aware of what we deeply want and need so that we can communicate this clearly? Mette Johansson (MBA, CSP, PCC) is a highly awarded author, speaker, and consultant. She worked in leadership roles for multinational corporations for 15 years before founding MetaMind, a training consultancy providing consulting and learning programs in the people side of leadership skills. She is the author of three Amazon bestsellers; "How to Make Yourself Promotable", "7 Skills to Help You Climb the Career Ladder", "MyVoice", as well as the co-author and ideator of "Unleash Your Voice", "Powerful Public Speaking for Every Woman". Mette is also the founder and relentless driver of the non-profit KeyNote – Women Speakers' directory, with a mission to bring diversity to speaking stages around the world. Mette herself has spoken internationally on Authentic, Inspirational, and Inclusive Leadership at a wide variety of global conferences, corporations, and business schools. Her clients include Citibank, Airbnb, Microsoft, UPS, Pfizer, Capitaland, and many more. Having lived in 10 countries outside her birthplace, Denmark, Mette is a global citizen who speaks fluently in four languages and currently calls Singapore home. In this episode, Mette explains that when we open our curiosity switch, we elicit stories from people and engage in a discovery conversation with them which helps us get to know each other better and interact with them more. Listening is not about being able to speak perfectly but about being understood. You don't have to fit in to be your authentic self, you just listen to yourself and just be you. "Asking questions is so important…when you truly want to hear what's going on and to understand what's going on." - Mette Johansson Listening SUPERPOWER Notes: 00:26 - The first time Mette noticed the power of listening. 01:44 - From a shy girl to a professional speaker: "I wanted this change; I wanted to be more confident." 03:39 - What is authentic leadership as it relates to Mette's own journey: "Authentic leadership is very much about living according to your values." 07:09 - How her core value of empowerment plays into her designed life: "I want to empower others to be the best versions of themselves." 08:57 - Who helped her listen to herself and make a change? 11:45 - What she is teaching her younger self with the lessons she learned now. 13:32 - How does asking questions calm down those triggers in you? 19:29 - What it means to turn on your "people curiosity switch": "You simply say, I'm going to discover something interesting about at least one person in this room today." 22:07 - People's curiosity as a neutralizer: "You can simply be that curious mind and not come in there with any preconceived notion of what the situation has to be or what that person has to be." 23:39 - Tips on how to listen to a larger audience and an online crowd: "It is a lot about observing the body language and it's also about asking questions." 26:32 - How your voice influences the quality of listening. 27:48 - Another good tip that helps your voice: Reading to young children at night. It's good practice for having a much more variety of voices." 30:00 - What is "KeyNote Women Speakers" all about? 34:51 - Advice to women with English as their second language: The key is to ensure that you are understood. Key Takeaways: "...traveling on my own…gave me confidence. When I could do things in different countries where I barely spoke the language, of course, I could also do these things at home." - Mette Johansson "If you want to be an authentic leader, if you want to be authentic, feel authentic, and be perceived as authentic, the first thing is…listening to yourself. Ask yourself questions that will help you discover what is of core importance to you, your personal core values." - Mette Johansson "Being you is so much more energy creating; it gives you energy rather than draining you when you're trying to fit in." - Mette Johansson "When you're asking questions to the audience, you might not wait for the audience to answer every single time. But simply by asking questions, people tend to react much more." - Mette Johansson Notes/Mentions: KeyNote Women Speakers: https://keynotewomen.com/ Connect with Mette Johansson: Website: https://www.mettejohansson.com/ Connect with Raquel Ark: www.listeningalchemy.com Mobile: + 491732340722 contact@listeningalchemy.com LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/raquel-ark-b2067613/ Podcast email: listeningsuperpower@gmail.com

As Raquel traveled back to Germany from visiting her family, she brought along stories that spoke volumes of her purpose in life – practicing and being surprised by our listening superpower. Reflecting on a routine she had while traveling as a younger person, she took time to look at the window from a cloud perspective and truly listen to what 2023 wanted to tell her. With an open heart and mind to the possibilities of what 2023 has in store for her, she was surprised at an immense sense of gratitude. And she shares this with us on this episode. True to her passion, she is continuing to advocate for more listening to take place - listening to ourselves, to others, and engaging others to listen to us. In this episode, Raquel returns to the often-repeated question, "How do I get people to listen to me?" She offers us more practical tips on how to be a channel for people to lean in and listen to us and for us to listen more to ourselves. "High-quality listening is when we listen with no judgment. And in our listening – we are interested, we are objective, we are neutral." - Raquel Ark Episode Recomendations: Upcoming episode with Mette Johansson on how to vary your voice – the tone of your voice, the quality of your voice that helps your audience to listen to you Ep17:Unlocking Your #Authentic Voice by #SpeakingYourTruth with Elissa Weinzimmer Ep09:Evidence on Listening Training and Workplace Performance with Guy Itzchakov Ep46. #Listening Research And Its Power With Associate Professor Guy Itzchakov Listening SUPERPOWER Notes: 00:37 - A quick sharing of her vacation and great time catching up with the people she cared for 00:59 - Looking forward to having great podcast guests lined up for this new year 02:18 - Raquel's story of reliving childhood memories with fondness and getting the chance to listen to herself 04:09 - Listening to what 2023 wanted to bring for her: "A great sense of gratefulness for many things."[enumerating them here with you what she is so thankful for] 07:23 - Importance of varying your voice -- the tone and quality of your voice to make people listen to you 09:03 - Speaking like a box of chocolates 12:46 - Helping the person speaking to self-reflect where there's no judgment to reduce prejudice 13:28 - A quick discussion about research on high quality listening in diversity, equity, and inclusion 17:30 - How to approach a stakeholder with an extreme opinion: "One of the best things you can do at that moment is to practice high quality listening." Key Takeaways: "One of the important things is to change your tone of voice. This varied voice helps people to stay interested and to listen to easier."- Raquel Ark "You are asking questions that help them even understand themselves to think further." - Raquel Ark Other Mentions: Journal of Experimental Social Psychology: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-experimental-social-psychology Can high quality listening predict lower speakers' prejudiced attitudes? By: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103120303620 Connect with Raquel Ark: https://listeningalchemy.com/ Mobile: + 491732340722 contact@listeningalchemy.com LinkedIn: Raquel Ark

On the shortest day of the year, known as the Winter Solstice, Raquel takes a moment to reflect on 2022. What brought you light this year? As the days start to get longer and extend, what would you like to extend further from 2022 into 2023? And as we take the opportunity to reflect on the year, how can we continue to raise the opportunities for more listening, whether we are listening to ourselves, others or even helping people listen to us. In this episode, Raquel was inspired to answer the most frequently asked question she was asked this year: 'How do I get people to listen to me?' Listen in as Raquel shares actionable tips to help you become a better listening facilitator to ensure that you are also listened to, and experienced by the people around you. "When you want someone to listen to you, the best thing you can do is start by listening to them first. '- Raquel Ark Topics Covered 01:11 - What's unique with Winter Solstice: the shortest day of the year. It's a great day to take time to reflect. 02:49 - Setting up the conversation through curiosity and intention. When you want someone to listen to you, the best thing you can do is listen to them first. 04:34 - Importance of preparation during meetings and conversations. And being very clear about your agenda 05:11 - Empathy and listening 06:50 - The most important thing you need to do at that moment is to be fully present 08:39 - Importance of checking in during the conversation. Ways to check for understanding, regardless of your audience Episode Mentioned: Cultivating the #ListenFirst Movement with Communications Scholar Graham Bodie Key Takeaways [on how to facilitate checking for understanding during meetings and conversations] "Find ways to check understanding. Just check in instead of rambling on. There's a very good chance that they did understand, but they thought of something else, or you were not clear enough." - Raquel Ark Connect with Raquel Ark: https://listeningalchemy.com/ Mobile: + 491732340722 contact@listeningalchemy.com LinkedIn: Raquel Ark

Have you noticed how your co-workers or team seem to have difficulty listening well to each other, having different understandings of what is important? Do you want to know how you can help a group listen to what is actually emerging in discussions? Visualize it. In today's episode, our guest talks about how listening is a way for you to recognize something bigger inside yourself and the group. Visualizing while listening is something you can do to help fully grasp what is being said and what is emerging in the group. Listening is an art where you can visualize it and see its beauty. So how do you do this? Visual Facilitator, Vanessa Jane Smith is from New Zealand with a background in communications, organizational development, training, and coaching. She blends leadership coaching & visual facilitation creating an approach which creatively disrupts routine thinking, inspiring human potential development. She works with groups to generate new ideas, stories and approaches, aligning diverse interests. Vanessa has facilitated high profile conferences such as The Vatican's Multi-Denominational Conference on Religions and SDGs, Italy; New Economy for Social Innovation (NESI), Spain; co-creating the new story in a Human Potential development training at Teach for America, USA. She has also worked in breakthrough Creative Leadership Programmes with the Oil and Gas Industries and Banking Sectors throughout Europe. In this episode, Vanessa shares the big impact and effective results of listening, whether you're listening to someone, a group of people, or maybe your team. Vanessa presents to you a ground-breaking and unique way of grasping the message of what you listen to through visualization. She also shares her experience on how she came to notice the power of listening and discover the 'listening and visualization' technique. "It's such a magic field. So much is possible when we listen." - Vanessa Jane Smith Listen IN Notes: 01:11 - "Listening beyond the words": When did Vanessa first notice the power of listening 06:41 - It became a superpower: What she learned about listening that she didn't realize before 08:42 - Vanessa shares how listening changes your perspective and understanding of things 11:02 - "This isn't about the pictures, this is about the quality of listening": Vanessa talks about how she learned her listening and visualization technique 19:21 - "Feeling inside and then feeling outside": Vanessa shares how to apply listening in big organizations 23:07 - Drawing on a blank sheet: How can you visualize listening? 26:55 - "There is such a power in this moment:" Vanessa tells us how listening is an open door to the different types of future 29:59 - Vanessa talks about the big impacts and results of listening to your team 33:37 - "Recognizing something more inside yourself": Vanessa shares people's realizations after doing the visual technique 38:08 - Vanessa's message to you: Give it time. Give it space. Space is the great creator. And get out of the way of it. Let it be there, and then make sense of it. 39:38 - Today's lesson: "Get out of your own way and become present without judgment." 46:53 - Vanessa shares what are her BE THE CHANGE cards and how they can help you Key Takeaways: "I have learned that listening is almost multi-dimensional. It really is a superpower. It's a guide to what's going on, on the inside, as much as it is a guide to what's going on on the outside. It heals." - Vanessa Jane Smith "The key here is listening, and really listening beyond what you think is supposed to be there." - Vanessa Jane Smith "We're just not literally seeing a picture. We're all walking around with what someone said at the beginning of the day, although we might have forgotten. It's still there somehow." - Vanessa Jane Smith "If you're looking for some really bigger results, then you have to do the opposite of what you think you have to do as an event organizer, or whatever it is. And you have to sort of slow down and give people way more space to do this delicate work." - Vanessa Jane Smith "You're never going to create anything new if you stay in the center of yourself where everything is fixed, correct, and right." - Vanessa Jane Smith Notes/Mentions: BE THE CHANGE cards: https://craftingconnection.com/?page_id=3426 Connect with Vanessa Jane Smith: Website: https://craftingconnection.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-jane-smith-50a10820 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craftingconnection/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/vanessacoach Connect with Raquel Ark: www.listeningalchemy.com Mobile: + 491732340722 contact@listeningalchemy.com LinkedIn Podcast email: listeningsuperpower@gmail.com

Have you ever thought you would not be an effective leader just because you are a naturally quiet person? Or are you only recruiting leaders who are outspoken and seem confident? We have long been stuck in a narrow and outdated view of what good leadership looks, sounds, and feels like. Often we assume there's a correlation between confidence and competence. We have disregarded quiet people's great potential to be of positive impact just because we think they're too shy to lead the change. This is a myth. According to our guest in episode 53, listening is a leadership responsibility. And quietly powerful leaders use their quiet superpower towards better decision-making, more empowered and engaged teams, and high-quality outcomes. Listen to your listening SUPERPOWER podcast to understand why and how to tap into this potential. Megumi Miki is an author, speaker, and consultant in leadership and culture, with a background in strategy, economics, and finance. Through her book "Quietly Powerful: How Your Quiet Nature is Your Leadership Strength", keynote presentations, one-on-one, and group coaching programs, Megumi has reached thousands of people globally and helped individuals to see their own leadership potential, lead authentically, and have an impact. She challenges our subconscious beliefs about what good leadership looks, sounds, and feels like. Megumi brings together 20+ years of experience in leadership development, organizational development, change and business strategy as she helps leaders and organizations unlock dormant potential by evolving to be smart together rather than being smart on our own. In this episode, Megumi discusses how quiet people are powerful and effective leaders as she shares stories inspired from her book, "Quietly Powerful". Also, Megumi enumerates actionable tips for you to try as a leader in an organization, even if you are quiet. In this week's episode, learn about the importance of becoming present in conversations and why confidence shouldn't be compared to competence. "Listening is a leadership responsibility, not just a nice thing to do when there's some time to listen." – Megumi Miki Listen IN Notes: 00:11 – "Listen to the whole rather than just the words": The moments that helped Megumi to notice the power of listening, and how she trained herself from then on to become a better listener 03:07 – From victim to power: Seeing how much of a superpower the survival kind of listening is along with the importance of paying attention to the essence of a conversation 07:42 – A piece of advice from Megumi: "Stay curious, because whatever you know, if you continue to speak, that's all you get – what you know. But if you actually listen, then you might learn something new." 10:39 – How your quiet nature is your hidden leadership strength: Megumi shares the motivation behind her book, "Quietly Powerful" 16:51 – Listening = Effective leadership: How creating a listening environment where people feel safe and free to speak paves way for positive impact in an organization 21:33 – "You can hear all the words, but if you're not influenced, then you're not really listening": Why you should be present as you listen . 28:30 – Learn from interviews Megumi did for her book and the Leadership Stories on what leaders have done to be able to effectively listen and catch critical topics 31:01 – To-do list on developing the superpower: Megumi shares why people are quiet along with the attributes to embody in order to be seen as a leader 40:49 – Today's plot twist: "Just because you're quiet doesn't mean you listen well." 42:52 – Connect with Megumi Miki Key Takeaways: "The tip would be to stay curious, because whatever you know, if you continue to speak, that's all you get – what you know. But if you actually listen, then you might learn something new. It does take a bit more effort, because what it means when you listen is that you have to integrate both what you're thinking and what other people are saying. It takes more courage, more skill, and more intellectual brainpower." – Megumi Miki "You can hear all the words, but if you're not influenced, then you're not really listening." – Megumi Miki Notes/Mentions: Quietly Powerful: https://www.quietlypowerful.com.au/book/ Connect with Megumi Miki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megumimiki/ Website: http://www.quietlypowerful.com.au Connect with Raquel Ark: www.listeningalchemy.com Mobile: + 491732340722 contact@listeningalchemy.com LinkedIn Podcast email: listeningsuperpower@gmail.com

Achieving optimal results for ourselves and the organization requires engaging in authentic conversations. This involves listening that is not driven by fear, but by maximizing curiosity. And listening by curiosity motivates change, especially when it comes to receiving and processing feedback. Best-selling author, executive coach, and keynote speaker Dr. Craig Dowden is bridging the gap between what science knows and what leaders do. In his work, he integrates evidence-based principles from the fields of positive psychology with those in leadership and organizational excellence. In this episode, Craig discusses how authentic conversations can take place to achieve success in business. And how great leadership starts with self-leadership. While listening with curiosity, not only does this help us to understand people's inner worlds, we also learn so much about ourselves. He also shares powerful tips on receiving and processing feedback. "It's more vital than ever before to create space for listening. It's to listen to ourselves and to listen to others. To figure things out, we need everybody on board. And I'm an important part of that; that great leadership starts with self-leadership." - Craig Dowden Listening SUPERPOWER podcast Notes: 00:26 - That instance when he first noticed the power of listening: It's the earliest stages of my life and it's what prompted me to do advanced studies in psychology. 01:57 - How soon did he pursue psychology? 03:50 - What it means to be part of the conversation: I love to get everybody's perspectives on the table. I love truly understanding where other people are coming from and unlocking the secrets to their inner world. 06:06 - Travel as a rewarding experience to immerse oneself in conversation 06:54 - Connecting individuals with organizational personalities: It's that intersection between who I am, what my values are, what my preferences are, and my personality and how that intersects within the organization. 13:25 - What authentic conversations boil down to: Many times, we throw around words, and values and wrap ourselves up like a security blanket in them. Yet, from a listening standpoint, we need to go deeper. Now that we've said these wonderfully aspirational things, what do they mean to me, to you, and together? 17:33 - Understanding how people on both ends of the listening spectrum agree on the same values but have different expectations of each other's behavior. 21:45 - What is positive leadership in connection with positive psychology? 23:30 - What Craig's book, A Time to Lead, is all about: The big idea within this book was great leadership starts with great self-leadership. 27:06 - What it means to listen to ourselves by having others listen to us: It's about listening to ourselves and listening to others; both perspectives are vital. 35:58 - Listening from a place of curiosity rather than fear: One of the benefits of turning to curiosity is that we're in the best space to learn and gain access to things that will be most vital for us to figure out what needs to happen in this situation. 38:15 - How the power of mindset [curiosity] and change in behavior can bring about change somewhere else. 40:31 - Two most powerful tips on receiving feedback 43:33 - Processing and addressing feedback received 45:26 - One surprising thing about his line of work: One of the big pieces that have come out of this and just continues to be reinforced over and over and over again is being comfortable with, 'I don't know'. 47:56 - How he sees the future of leadership: It's going to be even heavier on the humanistic and the connectivity side, and appreciating what that means and how we're going to manifest that. 49:22 - Sharing one significant insight: The idea of living our lives personally and professionally like scientists so that every day we go out and engage with our world personally and professionally. It maximizes curiosity and ensures that we take a listening approach. Key Takeaways: "I love to get everybody's perspectives on the table; I love to truly understand where other people are coming from and unlock the secrets to their inner world." - Craig Dowden "Not only do I have a chance to get to know someone on a deeper level…it enables me to get to know myself at a deeper level and to learn because when people share different perspectives on topics or situations, it invariably puts a mirror up to your own perspective." - Craig Dowden "Heightening our listening so that we can see how…I may reframe my relationship with my organization, or what is truly going on here, so I can better understand. And so when you bring those two things together, that's the secret sauce for individual and collective excellence. - Craig Dowden "The more we listen to others, the more we look to access their talents, strengths, and ideas, and the better we're all served by this." - Craig Dowden "What are the things that we must be committed to, to master within ourselves? It's a life-long journey, so that…when we're called upon to exercise leadership, we are our best selves." - Craig Dowden "When we've stepped back and say, "I'm going to start the conversation with curiosity and going to help maintain it.", there are just so many benefits, and there's learning attached."- Craig Dowden "Be mindful of throwing out feedback just because of WHO shared it with us." - Craig Dowden Quoting Douglas Stone: "Often, when we receive feedback, our instinct is to look for what's wrong with it. Rather than asking what's wrong with this feedback, we would serve ourselves better by asking what's right about it." "The harder the feedback for us to hear, the longer we want to sit with it and look to learn because, chances are, it's connecting into an identity piece for us." Notes / Mentions: Do Good To Lead Well by Craig Dowden: https://craigdowden.com/the-book/ A Time to Lead by Craig Dowden: https://www.amazon.com/Time-Lead-Mastering-Master-World/dp/1637630751 Barbara Fredrickson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Fredrickson Douglas Stone: https://www.pon.harvard.edu/faculty/douglas-stone/ Connect with Craig Dowden: https://craigdowden.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigdowden/ Connect with Raquel Ark: https://listeningalchemy.com/ Mobile: + 491732340722 listeningsuperpower@gmail.com contact@listeningalchemy.com LinkedIn: Raquel Ark

Joe McCormack, founder of The BRIEF Lab and author of 'BRIEF' and 'NOISE', shares his insights on mastering lean communication in today’s distraction-filled world. He emphasizes the power of purposeful listening and how it can transform conversations. McCormack discusses the balance of concise communication in meetings, the necessity of quiet reflection for leaders, and how intentional dialogue fosters deeper connections. He also provides practical tips for enhancing communication skills, aiming to make our messages clearer and more impactful.

Listen in podcast has reached a milestone, and we're celebrating! You're in for a treat, of course. You've heard Raquel mention her son, Luke, often in the interviews. How about Luke interviewing his mother, Raquel, for a change? The tables are turned, and Raquel becomes the interviewee. Get an inside look at Raquel's journey into podcasting. She candidly answers her son's (Luke) questions, revealing the reasons why she decided to start a podcast, the change it made in her, and the realizations it led her guests to, even when they are experts in their fields. And what it has brought to her listeners' lives. Also, we get to see what a kind-hearted and friendly-natured human she is, striking up warm conversations with strangers wherever she goes as if it's second nature to her. As part of this 50th episode, Raquel also shares a few changes to the show's format you can expect moving forward. Join the fun and enjoy a lighthearted mother-son banter unveiling this warmhearted, playful mother-son dynamic as Luke puts his mom in the spotlight. "What matters to me most, is my way to try to have some impact in the world in a positive way." - Raquel Ark Listen IN Notes: 01:50 - Celebrating the 50th episode with a new podcast show title and with a surprise guest interviewer this time 04:31 - The reason behind her getting into podcasting and how many years since she first started to think about podcasting. 05:20 - What she considers her favorite moments in her podcasting journey: My favorite moments are when I am interviewing the guests. And they are surprised by the question. 06:38 - Does she even prepare before the podcast: I have to prepare myself mentally, so I'm really there. And that's the most important part at that moment of the interview. 07:03 - Raquel's dream guests: I would love to interview Brene Brown down the road. It doesn't only have to be famous people; I love interviewing people who put this listening thing into practice, not just talking about it. 08:27 - How podcasting changes her: I think my interviewing skills have gotten better over time. And I learn something from every single person. 09:24 - What she hopes from listeners of her podcast: That it really opens people's minds to what listening is, what's possible with listening, and the potential of listening. 10:44 - The thing that matters most to her about having the podcast: This is my way to try to have some impact in the world in a positive way. 11:44 - Best feedback she has gotten: I get emails from different people who just point out what made a difference for them. 13:00 - Improvement she sees over the past years with the podcast: I got better with some of the questions even though I'm not really strict with time, I try to stick to 40 minutes. 13:30 - What to expect from the new podcast format: I want to shorten the introduction. I want to keep having these deep conversations. And I've also thought about adding shorter podcasts every so often where I'm answering questions I get from people. 14:22 - Reason to celebrate her podcast show: Only 30% of podcasts make it past six or seven episodes. The fact that this podcast is more than three years is a very big deal. 15:24 - What she's proud about: If I look at my guests and listeners, I have people from all over the world, all different cultures, different places. 18:10 - Raquel asking Luke for a possible guest appearance together with his friends, which topic they would discuss, and guests suggestions. Key Takeaways: "What I love is when the guests come as experts, but they discover something new." - Raquel Ark [on bringing on guest] "It doesn't only have to be famous people. I actually love interviewing people who are just pioneering things and trying new things or doing things differently or thinking for themselves and seeing how they are really putting this listening thing into practice… not just talking about it." - Raquel Ark [the impact of Listen In on Raquel ] "I use what I learn in my work or refer my podcast to people I coach or my students. Every guest I've had has influenced me in some way that has helped me improve at what I do. And sometimes better at listening as a mom, even though I know, I'm still struggling at that." - Raquel Ark "I hope it inspires people to try (listening) out in a playful way, in new ways at work and home. And to know that we have new ways we can try every day." - Raquel Ark "I love the feedback that comes from people where they said…this is something I'm going to try out, or I did try it out and it really made a difference." - Raquel Ark "This podcast, even though it is very niche; I'm in the top 10%." - Raquel Ark Notes/Mentions: Brene Brown: https://brenebrown.com Connect with Raquel Ark: https://listeningalchemy.com/ Mobile: + 491732340722 contact@listeningalchemy.com LinkedIn: Raquel Ark