Monday Madness
- Tavia Robinson
- Apr 27
- 2 min read
Monday Madness: The Leadership Discipline of Listening
“No one is as deaf as the man who will not listen.” — Proverb
How do these words land for you—as a leader, a colleague, a human navigating complexity?
Before you read further, pause.
Take a breath in…
Exhale slowly…
Again…
And once more…
Now—arrive here.
I know you can hear. But are you truly listening?
In coaching—and in leadership—this distinction is not semantic; it’s transformational.
Hearing is physiological. Passive. Automatic.
Listening is intentional. Active. Conscious.
Within the International Coaching Federation framework, active listening is not simply a skill—it is a core competency.
It requires presence, curiosity, and the discipline to set aside judgment, agenda, and the need to respond.
Because listening is not about waiting your turn to speak. It’s about creating space for truth to emerge.
From Transactional Hearing to Transformational Listening:
Drawing from insights such as How to Become a Better Listener and leadership research from Center for Creative Leadership, consider these elevated listening practices:
1. Listen to Understand, Not to Reply:
Are you fully receiving—or mentally rehearsing your response?
2. Tune Into What’s Not Being Said::
What emotions, hesitations, or gaps are signaling deeper meaning?
3. Observe Beyond Words:
How are tone, pace, and body language shaping the message?
4. Choose Your Contribution Intentionally:
Does your input advance clarity—or redirect attention?
5. Resist the Urge to Predict:
What shifts when you release the need to “already know”?
6. Create Space Before Responding:
How might a pause communicate respect, presence, and value?
7. Interrupt with Purpose, Not Impulse:
Are you honoring the speaker—or asserting control?
“It takes a great man to be a good listener.” — Calvin Coolidge
Coaching Reflection for Leaders & Teams:
*Consider bringing these questions into your next team dialogue or leadership meeting:
When was the last time I felt truly heard—and what made that possible?
Where might my listening be filtered through bias, urgency, or assumption?
How often do I listen to understand versus to respond or solve?
What would shift in my leadership if I listened for what’s beneath the words?
How can I model psychological safety through the way I listen?
“Listening is an art that requires attention over talent, spirit over ego, others over self.” — Dean Jackson
Call to Action:
*This week, experiment with one intentional shift:
Replace one response with a question.
Replace one interruption with curiosity.
Replace one assumption with presence.
Then observe what changes—in your conversations, your relationships, and your outcomes.
In today’s politically charged and economically complex environment, leaders who listen deeply lead differently.
“In a world full of noise, your power as a leader is measured by how deeply you choose to listen.”
You got this!
C0ach Tavia, PCC, MSEd, MAT
References & Further Reading:
How to Become a Better Listener
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-do-life/201405/how-become-better-listener
Center for Creative Leadership – Active Listening: Using Listening Skills to Coach Others
#MondayMadness #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #ICF #ActiveListening #ConsciousLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #LeadershipMatters #CoachingCulture #LeadWithIntention #CommunicationSkills #InfluenceWithIntegrity
Tavia Robinson
EMPOWER COACHING & CONSULTING, LLC
732.743.5012
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