Listening is the most underrated skill in leadership – it’s neither sexy or spotting the next trend. Yet, the World Economic Forum elevates active listening from mere skill to an essential attitude for future success.

This recognition is well-founded. Active listening hinges on a primal human need: the desire to be heard and understood. In fact, people were even willing to forgo money in order to talk about themselves. Sharing personal information triggers activity in brain regions tied to reward and satisfaction, similar to what we feel from food, money, or sex. We’re biologically engineered to share. So when you listen, you’re not merely being polite; you’re tapping into human neurobiology.

No surprise that leaders mastering the art of listening are the most loved, respected, and above all, trusted. They’re not just building rapport; they’re actively reducing conflicts and enhancing collaboration and an authentic level of engagement that cannot be faked. It matters. When someone feels genuinely heard, the entire dynamic shifts.

You may believe you’re a good listener, but statistics say you’re probably wrong. A mere 25% of us can claim genuine listening skills, and an even smaller fraction – just 10% – reach a level that can be termed mastery.

Let’s clarify the distinction between hearing and listening. Hearing is the passive intake of sound; it’s a sensation, not a skill. Listening, however, is an active engagement that demands your full presence and thoughtful attention to truly grasp, understand, and respond to a message. This includes understanding the nuances of body language, tone of voice, and choice of words – non-verbal cues that overwhelmingly influence how messages are received and interpreted.

It’s crucial to understand that listening is not the pause where you formulate your next point. Nor is it skimming the conversation for data, or using the dialogue as a platform for interrogation. And it’s certainly not an opportunity to refocus the spotlight on “your story” or your advice. Listening is a focused engagement with the speaker’s reality. You validate them in the most meaningful way possible – through profound understanding.

Active listening is more than a skill – it’s an attitude and a mindset that serves as the backbone of effective leadership, even more so in the future. Without a genuine commitment to listening, you are not solving problems; you’re creating them.

Conclusion: Quit talking. Start listening. Ignite change.