03/30/2026
I had some fun a few weeks ago in Minnesota. Hung out with a few other ministry leaders, caught up with a friend and colleague I hadn’t seen in 6 years, and spent some time in front of the camera vs. behind. I was given the privilege to speak out about the difference between multicultural and intercultural. Given our current climate, it was such a breath of fresh air to do a deep dive into defining and comparing the two, and assessing which camp we live in when it comes to our churches, our lives, and our current generation.
When it was all said and done, here was my big takeaway: “I just went there,” I thought. “I just sat in the uncomfortable, spoke my heart on what can feel like a formidable topic, and was gifted with the opportunity to be heard.”
What if we did that more? What if we were the gift givers? What if we gave away opportunities for others to be heard more often? And, in this act of kindness, we chose not only to hear our speaker, but to actually listen. The two skillsets are different. When we listen, we are selecting to actively mull over what is uttered, to weigh it against our own ideals and beliefs, and to see as our counterpart sees. It isn’t an in-one-ear-and-out-the-other moment. It isn’t a checklist act just to say, “We talked.” Listening is considering.
Every GREAT leader that I have been blessed to follow does this so well. They heed the words of those around them to include their followers. They are bold and brave enough to contemplate the thoughts of others. I met a VP of Marketing recently who shared with me that, regularly, she looks at her team and asks this very real, outlandish question: “What is it like being led by me?” She sits, and she waits for honest answers. Why? Because her team’s input and experience will form her into an even better leader.
That’s the art of listening. It only makes us better. It’s what grows my marketing chops. When I listen to my audience and apply change accordingly. It’s what develops me as a mom. When I listen to my daughter and apply change accordingly. It’s what will make us stronger as a society. When we listen to each other and apply change accordingly.
Want to lead? Listen. Want to serve? Listen. Want to grow? Listen. No matter how fast our world evolves or how quickly technology redefines our space, this one thing will never get old or pass away—Listening to one another!