How to Build Trust Through Active Listening in Leadership

Leaders who don’t listen, lose more than words they lose trust. Years ago, a Soldier told me, “I feel unheard.” It hit me like a brick. They weren’t asking for agreement. They were asking for acknowledgment. That moment reshaped how I lead. Listening isn’t passive. It’s active leadership. It builds trust, sparks ideas, and drives growth. Here’s how to elevate your listening as a leader: 1.) Show up fully. → Put down the phone. Look them in the eye. 2.) Ask smart questions. → Replace “Why” with “What” or “How” to dig deeper. 3.) Pause the noise. → Use silence to let insights emerge. 4.) Hear what’s said—and what’s not. → Pay attention to tone, body language, and pauses. 5.) Acknowledge their words. → Simple phrases like “I see what you mean” go far. 6.) Capture their ideas. → Write things down—it shows their input matters. 7.) Follow through. → Listening doesn’t end with hearing—it ends with action. 8.) Be curious. → Assume you have something to learn in every exchange. 9.) Protect their words. → Create an environment where they feel safe to speak. 10.) Practice daily. → Great leaders never stop improving this critical skill. Leadership isn’t about what you say. It’s about what you hear and how you respond. When was the last time you truly listened? Drop your best listening hack in the comments. Let’s build better leaders together. Thanks for reading. (And thanks for reposting ♻️)

The leadership superpower you’re ignoring: Active listening. Here’s what I’ve learned from years of leading teams: The best insights often come from those who speak the least. As a leader, your job is to hear not just what’s said, but what’s unsaid. Here are 3 tips to become a better listener: 1️⃣ Create psychological safety   ↳ Encourage all voices   ↳ Engage quiet members with eye contact and open questions 2️⃣ Listen between the lines   ↳ Pay attention to pauses, sighs, and body language   ↳ The unsaid often reveals as much as the words 3️⃣ Practice reflecting back   ↳ Paraphrase what you heard and ask clarifying questions   ↳ It ensures you understand the context and meaning The next time you face a challenge, the solution may already be in the room. You just need to listen. P.S. What’s your top tip for listening effectively as a leader? Photo credit: Greg McKeown ——— ♻️ Repost this to inspire your network to be better leaders!  ➕ Follow me Sandra Pellumbi for more. 🦉

Listening to Understand Transforms Leadership. In my coaching experience, I once worked with a leader, whom we'll call Sam. Sam was brilliant at quick solutions but struggled with team cohesion and trust. 🔹 The Challenge: During meetings, Sam often interrupted team members, finishing their sentences or formulating responses before they had even finished speaking. This created a subtle but pervasive atmosphere of undervaluation. 🔹 The Shift: We focused on changing Sam’s listening habits. Instead of listening to respond, Sam learned to listen to understand. This shift required a conscious effort to stay silent longer and ask questions that dug deeper into his team's thoughts. 🔹 The Outcome: The change didn't happen overnight, but as Sam practiced mindful listening, his team became more engaged, innovative, and willing to take initiative. Trust and respect grew, driving unprecedented team performance. Leaders, Here's How to Listen to Understand: 1. Pause Before Responding: Resist the urge to immediately answer. Take a moment to digest what's being said. This pause signifies respect and consideration. 2. Ask Follow-Up Questions: Show genuine curiosity. Questions like "Can you tell me more about that?" or "What do you need from me to succeed?" encourage deeper dialogue. 3. Reflect Back: Summarize what you’ve heard to confirm understanding. This not only clarifies any miscommunications but also makes the speaker feel truly heard and valued. Listening to understand isn’t just about being quiet while someone else speaks; it’s about actively engaging with and valuing their ideas. It turns conversations into learning opportunities and conflict into collaboration. Embrace this approach, and watch your leadership influence deepen significantly. ------- Ready to elevate your leadership game? Reach out, let's chat! #leadership #leadershipcoach

A question I hear far too often: “How can I make my team feel heard?” Here are 7 things I’ve learned: 1. Active Listening Make an effort to understand the message behind the words. • Focus on the speaker • Listen without planning a response • Nod, make eye contact, and subtly summarize their points This attentiveness shows genuine concern - they'll know you're fully engaged. Give them the power of your undivided attention. 2. Regular 1:1s Private check-ins make a big difference. They're opportunities to voice concerns or ideas they might not share in a group. Everyone has different needs. Provide individualized feedback and tailored support. Check in on them beyond their job description. 3. Anonymous Feedback Not everyone is comfortable giving direct feedback - it takes practice. Providing an anonymous way to do so can uncover issues you weren’t aware of. Act on this feedback where appropriate, and your team will see that every voice matters. Listen to everyone without bias. 4. Empathetic Responses Empathy in leadership is crucial. Phrases like “I can see how that's frustrating” or “That sounds challenging” validate experiences and encourage further sharing. Don't lead like a robot - show that you have a heart and care. Nothing is as powerful as feeling like you’ve been understood. 5. Encourage Participation Make it known that your meetings are a safe space. Just because you know it doesn't mean others do. No judgment. No fear of being "wrong." It's a refreshing reminder, especially for quieter members who don't often participate. 6. Follow-Up Actions Listening is fundamental, but action speaks louder. • If someone raises an issue or suggestion, follow up on it • If you can’t implement their idea, explain why Show that their input was valuable enough to warrant consideration. Then thank them for it. 7. Regular Team Surveys This has been a game-changer for my team. Craft surveys that cover the entire work-life spectrum. Encourage detailed, open-ended responses. Come back to them in 60 days to assess progress and uphold accountability. Discussing these insights together shows you're truly invested in their needs. Making your team feel heard is about cultivating an environment of trust and openness. It’s a blend of active listening, empathetic leadership, and taking tangible actions based on feedback. When your team feels heard, they feel valued. And a valued team is an empowered team. That's a wrap! If you enjoyed this: 1. Follow me Evan Nierman for more of these 2. Subscribe to my newsletter for more breakdowns like this: https://lnkd.in/g8MF5-6g

Ever feel like your team meetings are just a bunch of talking heads? You're not alone… But what if I told you the key to unlocking better collaboration, higher engagement, and stronger results lies in something often overlooked? Active listening is more than just keeping quiet while someone speaks… It's about truly paying attention, understanding the speaker's intent, showing the speaker you understand them, and responding thoughtfully I recently coached an David (an engineering manager) on this His team was brimming with talent, but constantly missing deadlines, struggling to collaborate, and fixing mistakes that were caused by misunderstandings David noticed frustration and a lack of engagement, and after digging a little deeper, we identified a core problem… Team members weren't actively listening to each other! Ideas were interrupted, and some felt their voices weren't valued, which created a culture of hesitation and hindered creative problem-solving But changing a team culture starts at the top… Through coaching, David honed his active listening skills and implemented these practices with his team: **Give Full Attention:** David learned to silence distractions, make eye contact, and truly focus on the speaker. This simple act communicated respect and encouraged open communication **Practice Reflection and Paraphrasing:** David began summarizing key points to ensure everyone was on the same page, which clarified understanding and fostered trust **Ask Clarifying Questions:** David encouraged questions to delve deeper into ideas and build upon each other's thoughts, which fostered a more collaborative environment **Embrace Silence:** David created space for thoughtful responses instead of jumping in to fill pauses, which allowed for deeper reflection and richer discussions **Active Listening for All:** David encouraged team members to practice active listening with each other, which fostered a culture of mutual respect and understanding These simple practices produced remarkable results! Communication improved dramatically, deadlines were met, innovation soared, and the team thrived on collaboration because everyone felt empowered to share ideas freely, knowing they would be heard Implement these active listening techniques in your next team meeting and see the difference! #Leadership #CivilEngineering #SoftwareEngineering

"Active listening isn’t hearing. It’s leading." I learned that the hard way. Early in my career, I had poor listening skills. I’d nod along, pretend to understand… Then answer questions I hadn’t even heard properly. Not because I was careless But because I was only listening to reply, not to understand. Fast forward to today, listening is my superpower. It’s helped me build trust, sell more, lead better, collaborate with my team, maintain relationships with customers, solve deeper problems, and connect with people in ways I never imagined. Here’s how I turned things around: 5 skills that made me a better leader, partner, and friend. 🧠 1️⃣ Give Full Attention 🔴 “I’m listening…” (while checking your phone) 🟢 “You have my full focus.” Active listening starts with presence. Eye contact. No distractions. All ears. 🔁 2️⃣ Reflect and Rephrase 🔴 “Okay, got it.” 🟢 “So what I’m hearing is…” This confirms what was said—and makes the other person feel heard. ❓ 3️⃣ Ask Open-Ended Questions 🔴 “Is this what you meant?” (Yes/No) 🟢 “Can you help me understand this better?” Opens the door to clarity, context, and connection. 🤐 4️⃣ Hold Space Without Interrupting 🔴 “Let me stop you right there…” 🟢 Silent nod, patient presence Sometimes, people just need to feel safe to finish their thought. Give them that gift. 💬 5️⃣ Respond Thoughtfully, Not Instantly 🔴 “Here’s what I think…” (rushed) 🟢 “Give me a second to reflect on that.” Powerful responses require pause. Don’t rush wisdom. Key Insight: People don’t remember what you said. They remember how heard you made them feel. Want to lead better? Sell better? Love better? Start by listening better. 👇 Which of these listening skills are you working on right now? Let me know, I want to learn from you. Drop your views in the comments! ♻️ Repost to remind all about the value of active listening. ➕ Samson Akinola for more insights on leadership, customer service, and problem-solving.

If you want to be a world-class leader, you need to be a world-class listener. 5 tips to be a better listener: — Active listening is the fastest way you can make all your employees feel heard. When someone feels heard, they’re empowered to: - Trust more - Perform better - Communicate openly We know most founders (guilty here) talk WAY more than we listen. We’re used to giving directions, selling, raising funds, coaching, etc. But that creates a professional divergence on what we actually need to focus on. Now let’s get to the good stuff… — 1. Avoid interrupting Interrupting makes people feel undervalued and can disrupt their train of thought. Let the other person finish their points before you jump in and tell them what you think. Don’t listen just to see what to answer ;) — 2. Ask open-ended questions This encourages people to share more information and express their thoughts and feelings more deeply. 3 questions that are guaranteed to make people open up: “What makes you say that?” “Can you tell me more about that?” “What would YOU do in my situation?” We tend to bias people asking closed q’s like: “would you do A or B”? — 3. Pay full attention There’s no greater way to show someone respect than this. Keep eye contact, remove distractions, and nod & smile when appropriate. And whatever you do, DON’T check your emails or messages. I did it so many times 10 years ago. I hated that burnt-out version of myself. — 4. Listen with your eyes Think active listening is all ears? UCLA research shows that 70-90% of communication is NON-verbal. Body language is crucial in how we convey and interpret messages. Look out for: - Hand gestures - Facial expressions - Posture (closed or open arms/shoulders) Subtly emulate these to build trust. — 5. Relay what you heard This helps make sure you have understood the other person correctly. Repeat back what they said in your own words. “So what you’re saying is…” They’ll correct you if you’re wrong. They’ll feel understood if you’re precise. — As you can see it doesn’t take much extra effort to be engaged and empower others through active listening. The real effort comes for us to shut down the “Problem-Solving Mind” and ACTUALLY listen, without thinking of what to answer. Start implementing this with your team and watch how much their morale is boosted. Got value out of this? Repost ♻️ to share to your network and follow Ignacio Carcavallo for more like this!

You ever walk out of a conversation and realize… You heard the words. But you didn’t really listen? I definitely have been here before. I was so focused on responding, fixing, proving… That I missed what people were actually trying to say. So I started using something simple that changed the game for me: The HEAR Framework. Not just to hear people but to understand them. Here’s how it works: H – Help me understand. Instead of jumping to conclusions, ask: “Can you help me understand your perspective?” E – Expand on that. Dig deeper. Get curious. “What else should I know about this situation?” A – Ask for clarity. Make sure you’re not misinterpreting: “Just to make sure I understand are you saying…?” R – Reflect back. Show them they’re heard. “It sounds like you’re saying [repeat their words]. Is that right?” It’s simple. But it’s powerful. Because when people feel heard, they open up. They engage. And trust deepens. Leadership isn’t just about making decisions. It’s about creating spaces where people feel safe to speak. What’s one way you’ve been working on listening better? #LeadershipDevelopment #Communication #ActiveListening #SelfAwareness