Monday reflection: Deep Listening and Sensemaking

Leadership involves both deep listening and sensemaking. Deep listening goes far beyond hearing the words being spoken. It is the personal discipline of paying attention not only to what is said, but to the signals that surround the words, the meaning, emotion, intention, and what remains unspoken. When leaders listen deeply, they create an environment where people feel confident to express themselves openly, and they uncover insights that would otherwise remain hidden. 

Sensemaking builds on deep listening. It is the process of interpreting multiple signals, connecting patterns, and understanding the broader system and context of a situation or problem. Together, deep listening and sensemaking enable leaders to navigate uncertainty and complexity with far greater clarity.  

Deep listening requires presence, not checking emails on a phone while someone is speaking, but focusing fully on the conversation. It means slowing down, suspending assumptions, and paying attention to subtle cues in body language: tone, pacing, energy, mannerisms, and silence. It invites leaders to ask reflective questions: Can you see this from a different perspective? Could another outcome be possible? What else might be important here? 

Sensemaking then helps leaders synthesise what they’ve heard. When leaders combine deep listening with thoughtful sensemaking, they build stronger relationships, foster trust and confidence, and lead with greater empathy and insight.