Sometimes, being a better communicator means saying less.
I've always been a talker. But over the years, I've learned that being comfortable talking doesn't necessarily mean you're good at communicating. Sometimes the most important part of a conversation is what we don't say.
In this episode of Todd Talk, I talk about some of the communication lessons I've learned—sometimes the hard way. We don't always need to soften our experiences, defend what we mean, or give someone else an explanation for how they should interpret what we're saying. We can simply speak our truth.
And when we're listening, we can give people something equally valuable: space.
Instead of leading someone toward the answer we expect, what happens when we simply ask, "How was it?" and let them tell us? What happens when we resist the urge to fill the silence, offer a solution, or tell someone what we think they should be thinking?
The same principle applies to leadership. The person who speaks first isn't always the person who communicates best. Sometimes, the strongest leader in the room is the one who listens to everyone else before offering their own opinion.
Because people don't always need us to fix something for them. Sometimes, they simply need to know they've been heard.
This is a conversation about listening, leadership, humility, and learning to leave enough room for other people to be heard.