Why Listening Is Your Most Powerful Business Tool

Dr. Niklas Richter · 2026-02-12

Let's talk about something we all think we're good at, but rarely truly master: listening. It's not just about being polite or waiting for your turn to speak. It's the secret weapon for sharper decisions, stronger teams, and real growth. I recently spoke with Evy Gruyaert, who's spent 25 years in media and now co-founded All Ears, about why this skill is anything but 'soft'. For Evy, listening wasn't just a nice-to-have. It was her primary professional tool long before she built a business around it. She doesn't see it as an empathetic add-on. Instead, it's a strategic way to understand better, work smarter, and build organizations that last. That's a perspective shift worth exploring. ### The Common Listening Traps We All Fall Into We often confuse listening with simply waiting for our turn to talk. Our brains are already formulating a response while the other person is still speaking. We're filling in the blanks with our own experiences—our own 'rucksack' as Evy puts it—instead of truly hearing what's being said. This isn't malicious; it's just how we're wired. But it means we miss the nuance, the underlying concerns, and the real opportunities hidden in plain sight. Another big one? Leaders who say they're 'open to feedback' but don't create the safety for it. If your team doesn't feel psychologically safe, they'll tell you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear. And that's a dangerous place for any business to be.  ### Why Slowing Down Actually Speeds You Up This might sound counterintuitive, but hear me out. In our rush to be productive and move fast, we skip the foundational step of deep understanding. Evy argues that intentional slowing down—taking the time to listen deeply—is what allows you to move faster and more effectively later. It prevents costly missteps, rework, and misalignment. It's like checking the map before you hit the gas on a long road trip. When you truly listen, you get to the heart of issues faster. You build trust that accelerates every subsequent interaction. You make decisions based on reality, not assumptions. That's how you build momentum that lasts. ### How to Build a Culture That Listens So, how does this work in practice? For Evy's company, All Ears, it's about embedding listening structurally into how an organization operates. It's not a one-off workshop. It's creating consistent practices and spaces where people are heard without judgment. The concrete results? Teams that collaborate better, innovate more, and employees who feel valued and stick around. The real foundations of a strong company culture aren't flashy perks or ping-pong tables. They're safety and trust. When people feel safe, they share ideas, admit mistakes, and give honest feedback. That's the gold dust for any leader. Here’s what leaders often underestimate about creating that environment: - Assuming openness is enough without actively soliciting diverse viewpoints. - Not modeling vulnerable listening themselves. - Failing to act on the feedback they receive, which erodes trust quickly. As Evy shared, listening is the quiet engine of durable success. It's what turns a group of individuals into a cohesive, adaptive, and resilient organization. It's not a soft skill—it's your hardest, most valuable asset in today's complex business world. Start by asking one more question today, and really listen to the answer. You might be surprised at what you've been missing.