We live in a world where everyone’s talking, tweeting, posting, and presenting. But who’s really listening?
One recurring challenge we hear from employees is this: “I don’t feel heard.” And this isn’t just about missing meeting notes — it’s about a deeper disconnect.
As L&D professionals and leadership facilitators, we’ve noticed that while communication is often taught, listening is rarely practiced intentionally. Especially active listening —a skill that, when mastered, can significantly enhance collaboration, employee engagement, and decision-making across all levels of an organization.
Active listening is an invaluable technique that requires the listener to thoroughly assimilate, understand, acknowledge or make a reply and hold on to the information that he has gained. Unlike critical listening, where a listener is trying to evaluate the message and offer his own opinion; active listening simply makes the speaker feel heard and validated, thus establishing trust and faith between both the parties.
It means asking questions, challenging all assumptions, and understanding the context of every interaction which results in a new clarity of focus, greater efficiency, and an increased likelihood of making better decisions.
When Satya Nadella took over as CEO of Microsoft in 2014, one of the first things he did was transform the meeting culture. In an interview with Wall Street Journal in 2015, Nadella shared his simple three-rule method for better meetings –
“Listen more. Talk less. Be decisive when the time comes.”
In today’s rapidly changing work environment, leaders must be prudent to connect one-on-one with team members. You simply cannot afford to neglect to build real interpersonal connections with your team. One of the most powerful ways for leaders to build trust is through ‘active listening’.
Let’s break down what active listening looks like—and why we believe it’s one of the most underrated leadership skills of our time.
What Is Active Listening?
Table of Contents
Active listening is not just about hearing words. It’s about:
- Giving your full attention to the speaker.
- Withholding judgment and creating psychological safety.
- Reflecting and clarifying what’s being said.
- Encouraging open communication by being present.
Unlike critical listening — where your brain is already crafting a response—active listening is about understanding the other person’s intent, emotion, and context before responding.
Why Active Listening Matters in the Modern Workplace
Here’s the thing: communication is only as effective as its weakest link.
In our corporate learning sessions, when we simulate difficult conversations or cross-functional team conflicts, we often find the real barrier is not poor messaging—it’s poor listening. When leaders and team members truly tune in, here’s what shifts:
- Employee trust deepens.
- Engagement increases.
- Misunderstandings reduce drastically.
- Conflict resolution becomes smoother.
- Innovation thrives—because diverse voices feel heard.
Whether you’re an HR leader trying to improve employee retention or a manager leading strategic meetings, active listening is foundational to driving a culture of inclusion and collaboration.
The 6 Active Listening Skills
1. Pay attention
“A leader must be a good listener. He must be willing to take counsel. He must show a genuine concern and love for those under his stewardship.” –James Faust
Active listening takes practice and requires undivided time. Set a comfortable atmosphere and tone to relax and make the speaker comfortable, giving him time before responding. Also, don’t cut-off or finish their sentences for them and formulate the answer in your mind before they finish. Be sure to make eye contact and be aware of your body language as well as the frame of your mind – as you engage in active listening.
Active listening also requires planning, putting aside more urgent matters and even getting out of the office to meet one-on-one. Schedule time to meet with people at different levels, offices and parts of your business to get to know them better and seek their input, understand how your messages are resonating with them and their teams, and learn about their vision for the company and their career.
In a remote-first, hybrid, and fast-paced world, this skill has only become more important.
2. Withhold judgement
“You have to be willing sometimes to listen to some remarkable bad opinions. Because if you say to someone, ‘That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard; get on out of here!’ — then you’ll never get anything out of that person again, and you might as well have a puppet on a string or a robot.”
— John Bryan, former CEO, Sarah Lee Corporation
As a listener and a leader, you need to have an open mind – inviting fresh ideas, new perspectives and innovative prospects. Even when good listeners have strong beliefs, they need to control themselves from passing judgement, engaging in criticism or interrupting the speaker by arguing or putting forth their arguments right away. Listening with greater empathy and understanding what the other person is saying and feeling, without passing comments, can help diffuse and navigate difficult or emotionally charged situations, to a great extent.
3. Reflect
“To say that a person feels listened to means a lot more than just their ideas get heard. It’s a sign of respect. It makes people feel valued.”
— Deborah Tannen, author and professor of linguistics, Georgetown University
As a listener, do not always assume that you have rightly and completely understood the speaker. Reflecting is an important active listening technique in which you can mirror the speaker’s emotions and statements by periodically paraphrasing the key points, to ensure that you and your partner are on the same page. This also helps increase the listener’s understanding of the other person and helps the other person clarify their thoughts. It reassures the other person that someone is willing to attend to their point of view and wants to help them express their thoughts.
4. Clarify
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” — Stephen H. Covey
As a listener, if you have any doubts about any unclear or ambiguous statement that the speaker has made, don’t hesitate to clarify the issue by asking open-ended and probing questions. This helps in reducing misunderstandings and ensures that the listener’s understanding of what the speaker has said is correct. It reassures the speaker that the listener is genuinely interested in him and is attempting to understand what he is saying.
5. Summarize
“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.”— Bryant H. McGill
Repeating a summary of what has been said back to the speaker, as the conversation proceeds, is a technique used by the listener to repeat what has been said in their own words. Summarizing involves taking the main points of the received message and reiterating them in a logical and clear way, giving the speaker a chance to correct it, if necessary. It confirms and helps the listener get a grip of the other person’s point of view.
6. Sharing
“Listening is about being present, not just about being quiet.”— Krista Tippett
Active listening is basically about understanding the other person, then about being understood as the listener. As you begin to get a clear understanding of the other person’s point of view, you can then begin to put forth your ideas, perspectives and suggestions. You can then talk about similar experiences or share an idea. This helps both of you get a picture of where things stand and go about resolving it in the best possible manner.
The Link Between Active Listening and Leadership
It’s no surprise that some of the best leaders today—like Satya Nadella, Jacinda Ardern, or Indra Nooyi—are all known for their listening skills.
When Nadella joined Microsoft, he said:
“Listen more. Talk less. Be decisive when the time comes.”
That one line has since become a mantra in many leadership circles—and for good reason.
In our trainings, we often ask participants to recall the last time they truly felt heard at work. The emotions that arise in those conversations—relief, safety, confidence—are a testament to the impact of a leader who listens.
How Can Organizations Foster Active Listening?
If you’re part of an L&D or HR team, you have a unique opportunity to embed active listening as a core value across the organization. Here are some ways we’ve helped organizations do that:
1. Embed it in New Manager Training
This is one of the best leadership skills for new managers to master early. Our first-time manager programs often include modules on empathetic conversations and feedback.
2. Facilitation Skills for Leaders
Teaching managers how to facilitate — not just lead — team discussions can create more inclusive, participative teams.
3. Model It at the Top
Senior leaders who model active listening in town halls, skip-level meetings, and even 1:1s, set the tone for the entire organization.
Active Listening in a Virtual World
In hybrid or remote setups, active listening becomes even more critical. Here are some quick tips we share in our virtual communication workshops:
- Keep your camera on — it makes people feel seen.
- Use verbal nods (“I hear you”, “That makes sense”) to replace body language.
- Summarize next steps in the chat or via follow-up email to ensure alignment.
Final Thoughts: Active Listening as Culture
In our experience, organizations that embed active listening into their DNA see measurable results: higher engagement scores, lower attrition, and stronger team cohesion.
Because active listening isn’t a “soft” skill — it’s a power skill.
It’s the foundation for:
- Effective leadership
- Trust-based teams
- Innovation and problem-solving
- Better decision-making
So, the next time you walk into a meeting — ask yourself: Am I truly listening?
