Part 3: 25 Years of Listening

During my time in Flint, I had plenty of opportunities to talk to media and the public. This photo was taken in 2013 during one of my appearances on a local radio show.

A 25-year work anniversary is usually treated like proof of endurance. A number. A timeline. A highlight reel.

But the longer I have worked, the less I think the real skill is staying. The real skill is listening.

I thought I knew how to do this when I walked into General Motors 25 years ago. I had spent years as a reporter for The Saginaw News and The Flint Journal. In that world, listening was my trade. I was trained to employ a "reporter’s mindset", to listen for the lede, to hunt for the contradiction, and to gather facts for a story that would be published the next morning.

But I quickly learned that corporate listening is a different animal. During the last 25 years at GM, I have seen every version of corporate life: the triumphs, the pivots, the crises, and the breakthroughs. I realized that in this environment, you aren't just listening to report a story; you are listening to shape one.

The situations change, but human nature does not. Whether we are launching a new product or navigating a global shift, these are the lessons I’ve learned in the quiet spaces between the big events.

The "Sideways" Question

In the newsroom, a source rarely gives you the lede in the first five minutes. They test the waters first. Corporate life is no different. Employees rarely ask for what they need in a clean, direct sentence. They ask sideways, using phrasing that sounds small but carries immense weight.

As a leader, you have to listen for the "subtext" beneath the surface:

• The Surface: “Do you know if this is true?” The Subtext: “I’m hearing rumors, and I don't know who to trust.”

• The Surface: “Is it safe to say what I think?” The Subtext: “Does this culture value my honesty, or just my compliance?”

• The Surface: “What does this mean for my team?” The Subtext: “I’m worried I can’t protect the people I lead.”

Sometimes the question under the question isn't about policy, process, or the latest "Town Hall" slide deck. It’s about dignity.

When people ask sideways, they are often performing a quiet check on their own value. They are asking: Do you see my work? Do I matter here? Am I about to be surprised by something I should have been told earlier?

Leader’s Insight: This isn't just a "feeling", it’s a performance driver. Google’s Project Aristotle found that Psychological Safety—the belief that you can speak up without being punished—is the #1 predictor of high-performing teams. Listening is a key driver in fostering that safety.

The Translation Gap: What is Said vs. What is Heard

When I was a reporter, I used quotes to add credibility to the article I was writing. I wasn’t necessarily concerned how people interpreted it. In an organization, a quote is a Rorschach test. Communication is not what is spoken, it is what is received, interpreted, and believed.

When a Leader says... The Team often hears...

“We’re changing direction.” “You’re about to lose something.”

“This is a priority.” “Everything else you’re doing just got downgraded.”

“We need to move faster.” “You are behind.”

Listening is how you find that gap before it becomes a canyon.

The Data: Research from the Economist Intelligence Unit shows that 44% of project failures are caused by communication breakdowns. Most often, it isn't a lack of talking, it’s a lack of understanding how the message landed.

How Silence Communicates

As a reporter, silence was a tool I used to get people to keep talking. In an organization, silence is a vacuum that people will inevitably fill with their own explanations.

When people lack context, they do not stop thinking. They fill the gap. They borrow certainty from the loudest voice in the room, or the most cynical one.

The Psychology: Research on "Organizational Silence" (often cited in Harvard Business Review) shows that when leaders leave gaps, the human brain is wired to fill those gaps with worst-case scenarios to protect itself.

The Real "Flex" After 25 Years

If I could boil down what I have learned, it is this: Listening is not softness. It is strength.

It is a form of respect that pays dividends you cannot spreadsheet. When people feel heard, they move from suspicion to participation. They stop whispering and start contributing.

I’m still using that reporter’s mindset I sharpened in Saginaw and Flint—asking the "question under the question" and looking for the truth beneath the surface. But today, I’m not looking for a headline. I’m looking for the truth that allows a team to become clearer and braver.

So yes, 25 years is a milestone. But I am not celebrating the number. I am celebrating the skill I am still learning. Because the day you stop listening is the day you start drifting.

Question for you:

Where has listening changed your leadership, your work, or your relationships in ways you did not expect?