15 Great Quotes About Listening

Do you have a favorite quote about listening?

Listening is one of the most important practices of servant leadership – maybe the single most important practice.*

So, I keep a list of quotes about listening. I sprinkle them in when I write, speak and do other servant leadership development work.

Let me share some with you.

Here (in alphabetical order by author) are 15 great quotes about listening:

1. “Listening is being able to be changed by the other person.” – Alan Alda

2. “People unconsciously know when you are not listening to them. Then they say ‘No’ to you.” – James Altucher

3. “Most of the successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking.” – Bernard Baruch

4. “An actor’s a guy who, if you ain’t talking about him, ain’t listening.” – Marlon Brando

5. “And so I had him thinking of me as a good conversationalist when, in reality, I had been merely a good listener and had encouraged him to talk.” – Dale Carnegie

6. “Those who are quick in talking are not always quick in listening. Sometimes even their brilliancy produces a sort of stupidity.” – G.K. Chesterton

7. “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” – Stephen Covey

8. “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said” – Peter Drucker

9. “Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don’t believe is right.” – Jane Goodall

10. “Only a true natural servant automatically responds to any problem by listening first.” – Robert K. Greenleaf

11. “When anyone tells me I can’t do anything… I’m just not listening any more.” – Florence Griffith-Joyner

12. “You aren’t learning anything when you’re talking.” – Lyndon Johnson

13. One of the most important elements in teaching, conducting, and performing, all three, is listening. – Itzhak Perlman

14. “Golf is about knowledge, and studying another player – more than listening to a teacher – is the best way to get it.” – Vijay Singh

15. “Leaders who refuse to listen will soon find themselves surrounded by people with nothing to say.” – Andy Stanley

And here’s one more, just for fun:

“I’m always relieved when someone is delivering a eulogy and I realize I’m listening to it.” – George Carlin

Do you like any of these quotes in particular? Do you have a favorite quote about listening you would add to the list?

Let us know.

As always, we appreciate your views. Thanks!

Joe

And download our latest ebook, Servant Leadership in the Workplace: A Brief Introduction. It’s free!

________________________

*  My last two blog posts were about listening. See what you think about “6 Things Listening Communicates” and “5 Ways to Listen Better to Women at Work”