# The Implications of Hearing Someone By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2024-09-27 Most people want to be heard. So, if one cares about a person, their power and influence, or their opinion, one should likely listen to them. However, this is often not enough. Simply listening to someone only gets one so far. For most people, to be heard means that something changes. The person changes their mind, the system or process changes, or one joins them in their perspective. If one listens but nothing changes, the person feels insignificant and becomes a pawn. People become dangerous in these moments. Some turn outward to make an impact with force violently. Others retreat and slowly take down the entire organization and society. Few in leadership positions understand this basic dynamic. Instinctually or through many unexamined experiences, a few leaders see that change must come with listening. However, often, these individuals will only see the option of changing the minds of the people speaking via authoritarian power. It typically goes something like, "I hear you, but you don't have the full picture as you are not in a leadership position." This is followed by explaining why the person is wrong on some trivial point they could not have known in their low-ranking position. This tends to work in most organizations only if the leader follows through on authoritative top-down control. If they say such a thing and then follow it with, it's important that we all do this together, and your opinion matters, the organization will eventually implode or explode as the hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance will be too great to stomach. So, when listening to someone, think about what must change. Is it their mind, your mind, or the system? Those skilled in dealing with humans who want to keep their power will often choose to change the system in trivial ways, as changing minds is hard, and it takes minimal system or process change to satisfy the human need to be heard. #### Related Items [[Listening]] [[Organization]] [[Power]] [[Change]] [[Leadership]] [[Strategy]]