Active Listening

Active listening is one of the most foundational and often underestimated leadership skills. In occupational therapy and other relational professions, how we listen shapes how we lead. Listening influences trust, collaboration, clinical reasoning, conflict resolution, mentorship, and team effectiveness.

Active listening is more than hearing words. It involves intentional presence, curiosity, and empathy. It requires attending to both content and emotion, noticing verbal and nonverbal cues, and responding in ways that communicate understanding. When leaders listen well, they create psychological safety, reduce relational stress, and foster environments where people feel valued and empowered to contribute.

In this lesson, we will explore the components of active listening, practice specific techniques, and examine how listening strengthens leadership effectiveness in clinical, academic, and professional contexts. By the end of this session, you will better understand how listening is not simply a communication strategy. It is a professional and ethical responsibility in occupational therapy leadership.

Watch:

Watch this 8:31-minute video on active listening to deepen your understanding of the concepts introduced above and to see how these techniques strengthen leadership effectiveness in occupational therapy contexts.

Handouts:

Optional:

Watch these additional videos to learn more about active listening.

Read:

Read this article by Kubota et al. to learn more about the direct effects of active listening (AL) training on the listening attitudes and skills of middle managers in a local government in Japan.