“If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two mouths and one ear.” — Mark Twain

J.W. Marriott Jr., CEO of Marriott International asserts: “After more than fourty years in business, I’ve concluded that listening is the single most important on-the-job skill that a good manager can cultivate.”

Best-selling author/consultant Stephen Covey writes, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood is the single most important principle I have learned in the field of interpersonal relations.”

The Bottom Line: Leaders are keen listeners — they know that one of the best ways to learn and influence others is with their ears.