#70 Leadership Presence: Why the Best Leaders Listen First

<p>In this episode, I explore one of the most underrated leadership skills: listening first.</p><p><br></p><p>Using Dwight Eisenhower as a reference point, I break down how he deliberately structured meetings to let others speak before he did—and why that simple behaviour created a major strategic advantage.</p><p><br></p><p>I also share how I’ve been applying this approach in my own leadership practice, and the impact it’s had on the quality of conversations and decisions.</p><p>We unpack four key benefits of leading this way:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>It reduces authority bias, so people are less likely to just agree with the leader</li><li>It surfaces more honest, accurate insight into what people actually think and feel</li><li>It creates space for better ideas to emerge, helping identify real talent</li><li>It increases the impact of your own voice when you do choose to speak</li></ul><p><br></p><p>This isn’t about staying quiet for the sake of it—it’s about being intentional with when and how you speak so that your leadership carries more weight when it matters.</p><p><br></p>