Hot SourceLeaders who are good listeners are the most effective, writes LINUS OKORIE
Leadership without listening is just loud noise with a title attached to it, and this is a growing crisis. This crisis is not about skill gaps, economic downturns, or broken strategies. It’s about the rise of self-centered leaders; people so obsessed with their own voice, perspective, and agenda that they can’t hear anyone else. They might be charismatic, visionary, and smart, but they’re often disconnected from the very people they’re supposed to lead. Broken teams, high turnover, and a work culture built on silence among others are glaring consequences.
The truth is, most leaders don’t realize they have stopped listening until it’s too late, which is the trap. Leadership communication becomes a monologue instead of a dialogue. The boardroom becomes an echo chamber. And before long, the leader becomes the center of a universe where no one else really matters.
This is where active listening steps in. This is one of the most underrated leadership skills, and also one of the most powerful. Active listening is not passive. It is not about sitting quietly and nodding. It is about being fully present, open, and genuinely curious about what other people think and feel. It is a leadership move that prevents ego from becoming the boss.
Let’s talk about what happens when leaders stop listening. When leaders don’t listen, they start operating in a vacuum. Decisions are made based on assumptions, not reality. Conflict goes unspoken until it explodes. Talented team members withdraw, withhold ideas, or walk away altogether. The environment becomes toxic, but quietly so. There’s no dramatic crash, just a slow erosion of trust and morale.
The more authority a leader gains, the easier it becomes to ignore voices that challenge or complicate their thinking. And that’s where authoritarian tendencies begin. Not the scary, tyrannical kind but the polite version. The kind that smiles, speaks in strategy language, and still silences people. You see it in leaders who interrupt their team, dismiss concerns, or constantly redirect conversations back to themselves. Sometimes, it is subtle and culturally acceptable. Nonetheless, the truth remains that it is deadly to effective leadership.
So how do you avoid becoming that leader? Start with listening. One of the best examples of this is Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar. At the height of Pixar’s success, Catmull was intentional about creating what he called “a culture of candor.” He built a workplace culture where dissent was encouraged. People at every level were empowered to speak up during their famed Braintrust meetings. Even if you were critiquing the work of a director or producer, your voice mattered. That culture produced blockbuster after blockbuster, and more importantly, it kept leadership grounded.
Compare that with companies where leaders shut down criticism or reward only the loudest voices. Creativity dies. Engagement drops. And soon, you’re stuck managing people instead of leading them.
Empathy is at the core of active listening. It is the ability to tune in objectively to words spoken and the intent behind them. When you lead with empathy, you listen to understand, and not to defend. This shift alone transforms how your team interacts with you. People don’t want perfect leaders. They want real ones. Leaders who pay attention, ask thoughtful questions, and show they care.
It is not just about feel-good culture. Listening has measurable business value. Research from Zenger Folkman, a leadership development firm, found that leaders who were rated as great listeners were also seen as the most effective overall. Their teams reported higher trust, better collaboration, and stronger performance. Listening is an endearing people strategy.
Most leaders say they are open to feedback. But openness is a posture, not a policy. If you want people to be honest with you, you have to create a pattern of responding well to uncomfortable truths. That means thanking someone for their courage even when what they said stings. It means not retaliating, not shutting down, and not pretending to listen just to check a box.
Feedback is not criticism. It is accountability. And it’s the most direct way to stay grounded in your leadership role. If no one is correcting you, challenging you, or asking hard questions, that’s not loyalty. It is fear, and this does not lead to greatness.
Some of the best leaders I have worked with are those who make listening a discipline. They book one-on-one time with team members, not just to delegate but to learn. They keep their mouth shut long enough to hear the truth. They go beyond open-door policies and instead walk through the door to meet people where they are. They don’t pretend to know everything, even when they’re the smartest person in the room. They listen, because they know leadership is a trust; one that’s earned every day.
One story that stuck with me came from a CEO who ran a healthcare company. His operations team was underperforming, and his instinct was to bring in consultants and shake things up. But instead of rushing in with solutions, he did something radical. He sat with his frontline staff which included nurses, drivers, admin officers to listen to them. No agenda. No speech. Just questions and attention. Within three months, their internal processes improved because he heard what was broken and trusted his people to fix it. The problem is clearly not about strategy but distance.
This is exactly what listening closes; the distance between a leader and their people. If you’re leading a team right now, ask yourself: when was the last time someone told me something I didn’t want to hear? And how did I respond? Do people feel safe telling you the truth? Do you interrupt more than you inquire? Is your team engaged, or are they performing for approval?
Active listening is not about giving up authority. It’s about using your influence to lift others, not just yourself. When you listen well, you empower people to lead from wherever they are. And that kind of leadership multiplies. It scales. It lasts.
Sometimes, you do not need a new strategy but sharper ears. So, here’s the takeaway: If you want to avoid becoming a self-centered leader, start by being a self-aware one. Train yourself to listen, even when it’s uncomfortable. Ask better questions. Resist the urge to control every narrative. And remember that every time you listen deeply, you remind your team they matter.
Leadership is not about being heard. It’s about hearing what no one else is listening for, and this is where the real power lies. Do you want to lead better? Then, talk less and listen more. And watch everything change.
. Okorie MFR is a leadership development expert spanning 30 years in the research, teaching and coaching of leadership in Africa and across the world. He is the CEO of the GOTNI Leadership Centre.
