When you listen, you learn.

Yes, leaders walk around and ask questions – usually good questions. But more importantly, the great leaders we’ve worked with know how to hold their tongues and let everyone else talk, even if it’s information they already know. They ask a question and then go quiet which isn’t always easy for CEOs, powerful communicators, or salespeople. Our rule of thumb is one to four—one part talking, four parts listening. Any less will make your team feel spoken to, not listened to.

As the saying goes, when you listen, you learn.

Listening can have a positive impact on the larger team. As the author Mark Nepo put it: “The ear is only a petal that grows from the heart. When we hear each other, it all becomes a garden.”

This is an excerpt from the book The Core 4: Harness Four Core Business Drivers to Accelerate Your Organization.