Are you listening?

One of the simplest leadership truths - when you’re talking, you’re not listening.

It sounds obvious. But watch any tense meeting. Someone is formulating their response while the other person is still speaking. We call it discussion. It’s often just waiting to reply.

The cost is missed nuance, assumptions filling gaps, and solutions aimed at the wrong problem. Real listening requires restraint. It means letting someone finish, asking a follow-up instead of defending, and being willing to change your position.

The best leaders I’ve worked with didn’t dominate the room. They absorbed it.

If you’re always the one speaking, you’re probably the one learning the least.