Greater Impact Through Greater Insight

If you ever want to predict if a conversation with your team is going to be impactful, assess one thing: How well people are listening to each other.

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The longer I facilitate meetings, trainings, and coaching sessions, the more I believe:

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Listening is where the magic happens.

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Let’s paint a picture:

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Imagine a person standing on a dot. Around that dot is a small circle that represents everything they already know, believe, understand, assume, etc.

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Now imagine that person is in a meeting doing all the talking or waiting to talk. They are standing firmly in that circle and making all of their decisions based on what’s already in there.

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Over time, that circle starts to harden. It becomes rigid, inflexible, and limited.

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But when, instead, that person acknowledges what they already know and stays open to what lies beyond their circle, something powerful happens:

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They ask questions, stay curious, and expand their circle.

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The larger our circle of understanding, the more we can see - the nuance, the complexity, the interconnectedness of the work we’re doing and how we can work better together.

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That expanded awareness unlocks stronger strategic thinking, more inclusive leadership, and better decision-making.

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So, how do you grow that circle?

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Become the most curious leader in the room - and then listen.

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Not to agree. Not to fix. Not to respond.

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But to consider.

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And encourage your team to do the same.

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If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you already seek out new perspectives. You care about growing. You might be thinking about how you can do it even more and, you might be wondering how you can help your team do it better together.

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Let's start with entertaining these ideas:

• The best leaders are the best listeners. Curious. Open. Aware that they don’t have all the answers.
• Conversations aren’t just about sharing ideas - they’re about gathering insights.
• And the person with the most information, and potential impact? That’s the one who’s paying attention to what’s being said - not just preparing their next point.

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There’s a quote attributed to Lyndon B. Johnson that says, “You aren’t learning anything when you’re talking.”

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It’s true. We can only speak from what we already know. To grow, we have to make space - for others to speak and for us to truly listen.

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These two things work together, but they are not the same thing. We need both:

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>> Space in the conversation for more voices to be heard

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>> Present and curious listening to take in what those voices are sharing

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If you want to bring more of that into your conversations, the first step is to intentionally hold off on responding from what you already know (your current circle) and instead, stay open to what you can learn (so you can expand that circle).

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Here are a few simple questions to keep in your back pocket. The next time someone shares something with you, instead of responding, pull one of them out, and encourage your team to do the same:

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🧐 “Do you want to say more about that?” / “Is there anything else you’d like to share?”

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🧐 “What do you think should happen next?” / “What would you like to see?”

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🧐 “Is there anything we haven’t considered yet?” / “Who else could help?”

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Or simply: silence. Just stay quiet. Nod. Wait. Try counting to 7 after someone finishes speaking - see what happens. It’s fascinating.

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If your team is ready to strengthen their listening muscles, or you want to spark deeper conversations, let’s connect! I’d love to support you in making it happen.

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Here’s to listening more, leading better, and expanding those circles - together.

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