These past few months, most of my time has been spent speaking – at conferences, delivering keynotes, conducting workshops and facilitating leadership meetings. 

Of course, it’s part of my job: to offer and generate new information, ideas and perspectives, to inspire and empower, or to share experiences, best practices or lessons learned.  And as with anything I commit to, I give my 100% of myself to every engagement. 

But some gigs really leave me feeling energized, and others less so.

Unquestionably, people turn up to these events for different reasons – to learn, to get inspired, to connect with others and, frankly, sometimes just because they “have to”.

But to me, the alchemy really happens when participants – whose jobs one could say is to sit back and absorb everything – actively bring their whole selves to their listening and interaction.

They personally engage with the talk: they ask a million questions, they comment and draw inferences in the chat, they disagree spiritedly and with curiosity, they push their understanding and wrestle (both positively and negatively) with the subject and with me.

And what a difference this makes.  I leave these types of experiences energized, even more committed to the work I do.  I feel part of something bigger.  My “cup runneth over” as they say, whenever there is lively interaction, even when it is disagreements or debates.

It reminds me how active and open listening has the power to energize others.

In an age where – in the words of Herminia Ibarra et. al. – Leaders are tasked to be “less directive and more empowering”, the ability to energize others is critical. 

How can we listen in a way that energizes others regardless of whether or not we agree with them?  How do we engage with the world and those around us to create energy through our listening and engagement? 

To those of you whose talks, podcasts, seminars etc. that I attend– I promise to keep listening fully, with my whole self so that your work is constantly kept aflame. 

And for all you who turn up and listen to me and engage with me … Thank you. You give me energy … and you fill my heart.

All the best,