December 5, 2025 - Make Time To Listen
Make Time to Listen
December 5, 2025
Hi,
Communication Is How You Get Your People Onboard And It Starts With Listening
In today’s workplace, leaders face a constant challenge: keeping their teams focused, motivated, and aligned with both organizational and personal goals. The foundation of that alignment is communication, but not the one-directional, top-down kind many leaders still rely on. Effective leadership communication is a two-way street, and the strongest leaders know that deep listening is just as important as clear messaging.
A familiar saying reminds us, “You have two ears for listening and one mouth for speaking, so listen more than you talk.” It sounds simple, but in practice it’s often overlooked. When leaders prepare to communicate, they usually concentrate on what they want to say, goals, priorities, directions, updates. With so much to share, intentional listening can easily slip into the background.
Yet this is where influence and connection are built. When you create a culture where listening is valued as much as speaking, you strengthen relationships, increase engagement, and build a united team that understands the “why” behind decisions. Achieving this balance pays off in better teamwork, stronger alignment, and a more committed organization.
Below are five communication practices that help leaders create that balance and truly get their people onboard.
1. Management Today Is Mostly Communication
Modern leadership is less about command and control and more about clarity, connection, and collaboration. When you need to create change, communication with all stakeholders becomes essential. Start by clearly explaining what needs to happen and why. Then pause and listen deeply. Their feedback will reveal levels of understanding, resistance you didn’t expect, and opportunities you might otherwise miss. This two-way communication builds trust and smooths the path for change.
2. Communication Requires Both Speaking and Listening
It’s common for leaders to mistake communication for simply “sharing information.” But true communication only happens when both people are engaged. We’ve all fallen into the trap of talking more than we listen, especially under pressure. When leaders shift from broadcast mode to dialogue mode, teams feel more connected, more accountable, and more willing to contribute.
3. Stop Talking, Be Quiet, and Listen
One of the most powerful communication skills a leader can develop is the ability to pause. Silence often means the other person is processing, reflecting, or choosing their words carefully. When you stop talking, you demonstrate respect, patience, and genuine curiosity. You create space for insight, both theirs and yours.
4. Do Not Interrupt
Interrupting shuts people down. Giving someone the full space to share their ideas or questions signals that their voice matters. When people feel heard, they share more openly and offer better information. This creates psychological safety, a core driver of high-performing teams.
5. Pay Full Attention
Communication isn’t just words, it’s tone, pace, energy, body language, and emotions. Leaders who tune into these cues create a shared listening experience. Paying full attention strengthens trust and reduces misalignment, because you’re listening to understand, not to respond.
When leaders balance talking and listening, they strengthen team alignment, improve collaboration, and build a culture where people feel valued. Communication done well isn’t just a leadership skill, it’s a strategic advantage.
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Here are three articles for further reading:
How Active Listening Can Make You A Better Leader - Forbes
This article outlines the concrete benefits of active listening for leaders: it helps build trust, reduce conflict, foster collaboration, and improve workplace morale and productivity. It reinforces the point that listening isn’t passive, it’s a leadership strength. Forbes
The Importance of Effective Listening and How to Apply It - CoachHub
A practical guide to why listening matters and how leaders can put it into practice. The article argues that many employees don’t feel heard, which hurts engagement, and shows how active listening can create a culture of openness, belonging, and shared commitment. CoachHub
Listening Is a Skill Most Leaders Don’t Have But Need - Leaders.com
This article covers why listening (not merely hearing) is a core leadership skill. It explains how good listening strengthens relationships, supports better decision-making, fosters empathy, and builds a communicative culture, directly aligning with your outline’s emphasis on mutual engagement and respect. Leaders.com
November at a Glance - What’s New In Business.
· AI adoption shifts leadership focus - As AI becomes a regular part of work, managers can ensure technology makes workers more valuable, not replaceable. HCAMag
· Soft skills rise as a differentiator - With AI and automation taking over routine tasks, emotional intelligence and human-centered leadership are essential for meaningful collaboration. Business Insider+1
· HR tech and onboarding get a makeover - New standards in HR technology are transforming onboarding and employee experience, even in hybrid or remote environments. LinkedIn+1
· Leadership turnover — fresh faces, shifting strategies - November saw a wave of senior HR leaders and people executives moving into new roles , signaling changes in organizational priorities and talent strategies. HR Dive+1
· Workplace recognition remains a sore spot - Despite nearly all managers agreeing that employee recognition is important, almost half of Canadian companies admit they lack the resources to acknowledge employees effectively, a gap that risks undermining engagement and retention. globenewswire.com
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Email: rob.murray@shaw.ca