A leader's shift towards hearing things how others do

Are you listening, or are you just waiting to overlay your own logic?

We all know the Stephen Covey principle: "Seek first to understand." But in practice, many leaders unknowingly apply a filter as an unintentional "Leadership Overlay." We hear a problem, and we immediately translate it into how we would solve it or how the company defines it.

We miss the human reality.

Let’s consider a shift to a mindset of: "Hear It How They Do."

This means stripping away the assumptions of your title and experience. It means resisting the urge to "fix" immediately and instead committing to experiencing the situation through the specific lens of your workforce or client.

* Not how you think they feel.

* Not how the data says they should feel.

* But how they actually experience it.

When we stop listening to confirm our biases and start listening to experience their reality, we don't just solve problems—we build a better understanding, trust, and a better way forward.

Try to Hear It How They Do