The way to reach success is to make people around you successful. To help others succeed, you have to be good at listening.

Listening is about hearing what the other person is saying. It is thinking about how to help the other person achieve the best results by examining their words and asking thoughtful questions.

Most of us want to appear knowledgeable by sharing what we know. This can stop us from listening to the other person because we only consider our clever response.

When you really listen to the other person, you can form insightful questions that naturally continue the conversation. You'll feed on the person's response that will bring out their best thinking, and your questions will bring out your best thinking.

When you think someone says something wrong or misguided, it's easy to disregard their input.

When you disagree, you will judge the other person and stop listening. Instead, hear them out. Maybe you are missing something or can inspire them to grow.

If you have biases about someone, it can prevent you from listening to them. You may have more experience and think the other person has nothing to offer on the subject.

Engaging in listening means that you have to discard the filters you've built and focus on possible positive outcomes.

Your ego will tell you that you're so smart and they are so intellectually inferior that you don't need to listen to this person.

Those who are most secure have the confidence to listen, regard, and value others.

Our brains are unable to receive many sources of information simultaneously—our brains process in series, not in parallel.

Listening to someone means you have to stop everything you're doing and focus.

It's easier to focus on the information you disagree with than the bit of truth they may have to share. Or you may think you already know what the person will say. This can cause you to shut off because you think you know what will come next.

Maybe the person will say something different. If you stop listening, you won't know.

Listening to someone can be difficult. But the more you practice, the easier it becomes.

One reason for trying to be a great listener is to show respect to everyone, and the best way to respect someone is to truly listen to them. Most likely, they'll reciprocate by listening to you.