If you want to keep improving your leadership style, don’t miss this podcast episode on More Details Please. Hosts Angela and Emmanuel Williams sit down with special guest Joshua Parish, army veteran and co-founder of VETLIFE and the Battle Buddy app, to explore why listening is one of the most untapped superpowers in life, leadership and business.

Jump right into the episode here: Learning Through Listening for Leadership.

Strengthen Relationships

There are plenty of tips out there on how to lead or grow your business. But one skill can make a big difference right away: learning to really listen. Emmanuel points out in the episode that listening is often misunderstood. Just because you’re quiet and letting someone speak, it doesn’t mean you’re not present in the conversation. i.e., listening is not a weakness; it is actually a leadership strength.

Emmanuel also asks: if you are not listening to someone, what are you listening to? Often, you are focused on your own thoughts, like your ego, judgments, emotions, or reactions. He explains that to listen well, you need to be still. 

This means making room in your mind so you can really take in what someone is saying. Creating that stillness is also part of learning to protect your energy and manage how your thoughts and emotions affect your leadership.

Another point to note is that hearing and listening are not the same. You might hear words and move on, but listening means focusing and being intentional about what is being shared, including the tone, emotion, and meaning underneath. This awareness is a key trait of what makes a successful entrepreneur in any industry.

Angela reminds you that listening to customers builds trust and loyalty. Equally important, listening to employees helps them feel valued and safe to share their ideas or concerns. When people feel noticed and understood, relationships become stronger. Moreover, cultivating this level of trust is part of a successful business management mindset, essential for leadership.

Using Different Listening Skills

The podcast also dives into our different listening skills and how the different types can help you lead differently. For example:

• Active listening: this is the one we all recognize. You give the speaker your full attention, make eye contact, nod. You’re showing, not just saying, that you’re listening.
• Discriminative listening: The earliest form of listening we learn. It’s all about sound and tone, picking up on emotions. For example, if a team member says they’re “fine” but their voice sounds unsure, that’s your cue to dig for more details!

Listen to the episode to discover more types of listening skills for leaders to help you communicate better and avoid misunderstandings in the workplace.

How to Listen More Effectively

‘Most people believe they’re good listeners,’ says Angela. When someone is speaking, we assume we’re taking it all in. But listening isn’t the same as hearing.

In leadership roles, it’s easy to get distracted. You might be organizing a team, solving problems, planning ahead, and handling many tasks at once. During these times, you may be there in person, but your mind is elsewhere. And too much overwhelm can lead to entrepreneurship burnout. Slowing down and paying attention can prevent this spiral.

Truly listening takes effort. It means slowing down, putting away your mental to-do list, and focusing completely on the other person. This is how understanding starts, and how stronger leadership grows. 

For simple tips to improve your listening skills, start by resisting the urge to interrupt. Let the person have their say before you respond. Equally important, give them your full attention, not half an ear while checking your phone or thinking about what you’ll say next.

Even small changes can help people feel more heard and valued. In this episode, Angela, Emmanuel, and Joshua offer additional practical tips for leaders who want to listen more effectively and make a real impact.

Supporting Mental Health

As a U.S. Army combat veteran, Joshua Parish knows that listening is more than just being polite; it is essential in the military. ‘It’s ingrained in you very early on to respect and listen to what your superior officers are saying because it can mean the difference between life and death.’ 

Josh further explains that in Iraq, every detail mattered. Every instruction was precise. Lives depended on it. But when he returned to civilian life, things were very different.

‘The reason our organization, VETLIFE, exists is because people weren’t listening.’ He says the government’s Transition Assistance Program was failing almost 87% of the veterans it was supposed to help. ‘If your program is failing that large amount of people, that means that you are not listening to them and you are not setting them up for success.’

Not listening has real consequences, from loss of identity to mental health struggles. For Josh, being a leader now means making sure veterans are truly heard. 

Listening Skills for Leaders Begins with Awareness

Josh explains that leadership begins with awareness and becoming more present in daily life. This awareness also includes choosing not to remain the victim of your own story.

Listen to the episode to hear Josh share his deeply personal story about struggling with anger and rage when he left the military, and how a simple comment from his wife shifted his perspective.

His leadership strengthened as a result. Instead of stopping at awareness, Josh and his wife built something meaningful called the Battle Buddy app. It makes sure veterans can easily access the support they deserve and start living with purpose. For Josh, it’s not just an app. It’s about meeting people where they are and giving them the tools to move forward.

Conclusion

To sum up, listening isn’t a passive act. It’s leadership on a higher level. It takes focus, discipline and patience to really listen properly. You become a better leader simply by giving people your full attention and listening to what they have to say. In doing so, people feel valued, encouraged and happier. They feel confident that their voice matters, whether they’re an employee, a customer, or a member of your community.

And sometimes, listening skills for leaders serve as a lifeline. Josh’s work with veterans is a powerful example. He’s helping to empower veterans and reduce suicide rates. As he puts it: ‘When you just do something nice for somebody without ever asking for anything in return, you don’t know how much that improves their mental health and can potentially save their life.’

Watch the Full Podcast Episode

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Listen to the Full Podcast Episode

Ready to elevate your leadership? Listen to the full episode of More Details, Please and explore how intentional listening can transform your team, your business, and your impact.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to More Details, Please on Spotify and YouTube so you never miss an episode. Or click the link to listen to the full conversation with Joshua Parish today.