A question to reflect on: What might you hear if you listened a little more slowly?A good listener listens slowly to what is being said.
He does not jump ahead nor does he rush to judge nor does he sit there formulating his own reply.
He focuses directly on what is being said. He listens to more than is being said.
He extracts the maximum information from what he hears by looking between the words used and wondering why something has been expressed in a particular way.
It is active listening because the listener’s imagination is full of ‘could be’ and ‘may be’ elaborations.
Credit: Edward de Bono
Posts where this quotation is embedded
- Listen with the Intent to Understand Don't listen with the intent to reply
Image Credits: Pixabay
(Pixabay)In-person, 7–11 September 2026, Warbrook House, Hampshire, UK
We are living and working in conditions of uncertainty, complexity, and rapid change. Many leadership approaches still rely on control, expertise, and tools that no longer fit the realities people face.
This week-long immersive workshop brings people together to practise Conversational Leadership as a shared, lived experience. It is not a training course but a space to slow down, think together, and explore how leadership emerges through dialogue, responsibility, and real engagement.