Leadership isn’t just about action—what you do—it’s also about restraint—what you don’t do. While traits like humility, vision, and skill are widely recognised as hallmarks of great leaders, there’s one often-overlooked skill that can transform your effectiveness overnight: listening.
The Science of Humble and Effective Leadership
Let’s start with humility. A study in the Academy of Management Journal found humble leaders are not only more likable but also more effective. Humility fosters a culture of openness and collaboration, qualities that directly impact job performance. Another study published in Personality and Individual Differences highlights humility as a “unique predictor” of success, showing that those who approach leadership with humility perform better as both bosses and employees.
Vision is another cornerstone of great leadership. I teach that leadership is about having a clear goal and aligning your team’s aspirations with that goal. A strong vision, combined with genuine interest in your team’s objectives, creates a foundation for trust and high performance.
Competence plays a pivotal role too. According to research in the Harvard Business Review, employees are happier and more satisfied when their leaders understand the nuts and bolts of their work. A leader who can step into the trenches with their team builds credibility and inspires confidence.
These qualities—humility, vision, and skill—are essential for effective leadership. But listening is the one practice that ties them all together.
The Transformative Power of Listening
A groundbreaking analysis published in the Journal of Business and Psychology examined 144 studies involving over 155,000 participants. The findings? Listening isn’t just a “nice-to-have” skill—it drives measurable improvements in communication, relationships, and job performance. Leaders who listen are better at fostering strong professional relationships, which translates to better results for their teams and organisations.
Listening enhances connection. When leaders genuinely listen, employees feel understood, valued, and supported. A Journal of Personality and Social Psychology study underscores this point, showing that asking thoughtful follow-up questions—an act that requires real listening—makes leaders significantly more likable and influential.
Why Most Leaders Struggle to Listen
Listening should be straightforward, yet it’s surprisingly uncommon. Why? Humans are wired to talk. Research reveals that about 40% of everyday speech involves sharing personal thoughts and feelings. This self-disclosure activates brain regions linked to rewards like food, money, and social connection. In fact, participants in the study willingly gave up money for the chance to keep talking about themselves.
This isn’t narcissism—it’s biology. Talking about ourselves feels good. But for leaders, the instinct to dominate conversations can undermine relationships and trust.
How Listening Creates High-Growth Teams
Listening has profound implications for leadership. Research from the Journal of Experimental Psychology shows employees feel less objectified and more supported when they believe their leaders truly know and understand them. In practice, this means prioritising your team’s stories, goals, and challenges over your own.
Employees don’t need to know about your vacation—they want you to ask about theirs. They don’t need to hear about your career goals—they want you to listen to theirs. When you ask, listen, and take action to support your team’s success, you create a culture of trust and collaboration that fuels high growth.
How to Be a Better Listener Starting Today
Becoming a better listener isn’t complicated, but it does require conscious effort. Start by talking less. When you enter a conversation, commit to asking more questions and making fewer statements. Focus on follow-up questions, which not only demonstrate that you’ve been paying attention but also deepen the conversation.
Here’s the mindset shift that makes all the difference: Your job isn’t to be interesting—it’s to be interested. Your role as a leader is not to talk, but to listen.
