Most people aren't listening; they’re just waiting for their turn to speak

The better you get at listening, the more the person is going to be willing to share. And I can't tell you how many times I have heard this, and it happens oftentimes the first time I'm meeting somebody where they would say, Kwame, I've never told anybody this, but blank, and then they share this secret. And it happens with consistency. Why? Because I am a great listener, because I've taken the time to hone that skill. And if you do a great job of listening, people will recognize how few people in their lives listen Listen to them with the level of depth that you can bring to the conversation. And as a result, people become addicted to talking to you. They will share and share and share because they cannot get this level of validation and respect from somebody else. So you can actually listen in a way that encourages them to share more.