One of the most powerful leadership skills you can develop is active listening. It sounds simple, yet it’s remarkably challenging in practice. Why? Because active listening requires mindfulness, intentionality, and deep self-awareness.

I find it helpful  to find simplicity amid complexity with a conscious effort to be “tuned in“ and present when doing the continuous work to master active listening. It can be helpful to stop and ground yourself, even just 60 seconds to center yourself before engaging in meaningful dialogue. It can supercharge your self-awareness and how others experience you as one who is engaged with energy and focus on the individuals and teams you are listening to.

When practicing active listening, you’re faced with a choice: Are you tuned in, or are you tuned out? Your goal, as an effective listener, should always be to remain consistently tuned in. Yet, it requires conscious effort, practice, and sincere self-awareness.

Here are two techniques I find particularly helpful:

Listening FOR Something

When you listen for something, you’re actively seeking meaning beneath the words. Ask yourself:

• “What is this person truly saying?”
• “What’s the deeper meaning behind their words?”
• “How does their tone reflect their emotions?”

Clarify and summarize as you go. Listen for passion, motivations, and what’s genuinely important to the person speaking. This strategy not only improves comprehension but also builds stronger, more authentic connections.

Listening WITH Someone

Listening with someone means entering a conversation empathetically and intuitively. It involves:

• Asking curious and insightful questions.
• Being fully empathetic, open, and nonjudgmental.
• Summarizing frequently to ensure clear understanding.

When you listen with someone, your conversation transforms from a mere exchange of words to true collaboration and connection.

By consistently practicing these two listening techniques, you naturally simplify the complexities of human interaction. You’re not just hearing words—you’re fully tuned in to the emotions, intentions, and motivations behind them.

Remember, your identity as a leader or communicator is shaped by whether you’re tuned in or tuned out. Choose to remain tuned in, and you’ll find clarity, simplicity, and genuine effectiveness on the other side of complexity.