listening SUPERPOWER podcast Podcast By Raquel Ark cover art

listening SUPERPOWER podcast

listening SUPERPOWER podcast

By: Raquel Ark
Listen for free

About this listen

 Your Listening SUPERPOWER podcast will help become a more impactful communicator by listening effectively and in surprising ways. Join your host and listening catalyst Raquel Ark to be inspired by listening researchers and professionals as we share tips and stories on how to work smarter and feel better by growing our listening superpower together. Your listening SUPERPOWER podcast is much more than listening. It’s practical knowledge and inspiration that you can use right away. If you’re the kind of person who wants to have a positive impact, have less communication challenges, get things done and make our world a better place, listen and follow the listening SUPERPOWER podcast. Build your toolbox for your everyday interactions. Learning how to listen more effectively will help others listen to you better. Improve work productivity and time management. Less misunderstandings. Break bad communication habits. Communicate effectively. Have more voice. Engage your team and influence stakeholders. Facilitate difficult conversations better. Enhance relationships. Discover needs and interests. Feel more belonging. Build trust and connection. Take meaningful action. Increase your success and wellbeing. Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • The 15-Second Rule That Transforms Leadership: Why Pausing Beats Advice Every Time with Jonno White

    The 15-Second Rule That Transforms Leadership: Why Pausing Beats Advice Every Time with Jonno White
    Jun 23 2025
    We often believe that great leadership comes from being an exceptional speaker, someone who can command a room and deliver compelling presentations. But what if the real superpower lies in the opposite skill? In this episode of the Listening Superpower podcast, join me in conversation with Jonno White, an Australian leadership coach, podcast host, and author with over four years of podcasting experience and 236 episodes under his belt. Jonno shares his fascinating journey from believing speaking was his greatest strength to discovering that listening is the ultimate leadership tool. Jonno shares his perspective on today's leadership challenges, from retaining younger talent to adapting leadership styles for different generations, and why understanding individual strengths might be more powerful than traditional role-based management. Whether you're a seasoned leader looking to enhance your people skills or someone just beginning to explore the power of listening, this episode will challenge your assumptions about what makes great communication. "The number one skill that comes up again and again is the power of listening. I had to unlearn what I learned when I was eight, because speaking was nowhere near as powerful as great listening." -- Jonno White SUPERPOWER Notes: 01:15 -- From Fear to Overconfidence: Jonno recounts his grade three experience giving a speech about ants, where faking confidence led to success and shaped his belief that speaking was his superpower. 05:30 -- The Coaching Revelation: Jonno shares how he discovered that clients weren't transformed by his advice, but by having space to think through their own thoughts and reach their own conclusions. 10:45 -- The Sherlock Holmes Approach: Jonno's technique of being a detective while listening, paying attention to body language, sighs of relief, and moments of weight in conversations. 12:30 -- Understanding vs. Being Understood: The crucial distinction between listening to understand someone and ensuring they know you understand them—and why paraphrasing is so powerful. 15:20 -- The 15-Second Rule: Jonno's disciplined approach to coaching, counting to 15 seconds before responding and how this technique transforms conversations. 18:45 -- The Valentine's Day Disaster: A humorous story about trying out scripted listening techniques on a romantic date and the importance of genuine connection over mechanical methods. 24:15 -- Modern Leadership Challenges: Jonno identifies three key issues leaders face today: adapting to new revenue generation needs, wellbeing challenges, and retaining staff across generations. 28:00 -- Generational Workplace Dynamics: A breakdown of how different generations respond to workplace demands and why leaders need to understand varying motivations. 31:45 -- Learning from Gen Z Boundaries: How younger generations' approach to boundaries might actually be healthier and what leaders can learn from this perspective. 34:30 -- From Arranger to Individualization: The shift from seeing what needs to be done and finding people to do it, versus seeing people and finding what they could do. Key Takeaways "People don't feel heard when the person across from them understands them. They feel heard the moment that they understand that the person across from them understands them." -- Jonno White "I spend most of my time counting in my head because I try to pause for 15 seconds... letting the silence do the heavy lifting." -- Jonno White "How can we get alongside them and say, I'm here. I'm present. What's going on? You're more important than the deadline." -- Jonno White "After all these years, I just keep getting reminded more and more that there really is no more important skill for a leader than to listen well." -- Jonno White Connect with Jonno White: Podcast: Leadership Conversations with Jonno White Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leadership-conversations-with-jonno-white-podcast/id1593825558 Book: "Step Up or Step Out" https://www.amazon.com/Step-Up-Out-Difficult-Conflict/dp/B097X7B5LD https://www.consultclarity.org/ Email: Jonno@consultclarity.org Connect with Raquel Ark: https://listeningalchemy.com/ Mobile: + 491732340722 listeningsuperpower@gmail.com contact@listeningalchemy.com LinkedIn: Raquel Ark
    Show more Show less
    39 mins
  • The Art of Listening and The Power of Humor: A Conversation Connecting Life Experiences with Cartoonist Dave Coverly

    The Art of Listening and The Power of Humor: A Conversation Connecting Life Experiences with Cartoonist Dave Coverly
    Apr 23 2025

    Imagine a cartoon opening a door to transform a challenging conversation into a productive and meaningful conversation in your team. In this episode, we explore how listening and observation can engage humor which can shift our mindset and enhance our ability to engage with others meaningfully.

    Dave Coverly is the award-winning creator of the internationally syndicated cartoon Speed Bump, featured in hundreds of publications including The Washington Post, The New Yorker, and The Globe & Mail. A four-time winner of the National Cartoonists Society’s “Best Newspaper Panel” award, he received their highest honor, the Reuben Award for “Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year,” in 2009.

    His work appears on greeting cards, in books, and across major media outlets, and he serves as the principal cartoonist for BarkBox.

    Dave Coverly has authored several cartoon collections and children's books published by Macmillan namely Speed Bump: A Collection of Cartoon Skidmarks (Andrews McMeel), Cartoons for Idea People (ECW), Just One %$#@ Speed Bump After Another (ECW), Dogs Are People, Too, and its sequel, Cats Are People, Too.

    And his children’s picture books include Sue MacDonald Had a Book (with Jim Tobin, Macmillan), The Very Inappropriate Word (with Jim Tobin, Macmillan), and How To Care For Your T-Rex (with Ken Baker, Macmillan). His chapter book trilogy began with Night of the Living Worms, and continued with Night of the Living Shadows, and Night of the Living Zombie Bugs.

    With a career spanning over 30 years, Dave has mastered the art of observational humor, using his cartoons to reflect on the human experience and the nuances of everyday life.

    In this conversation, Dave shares personal stories and insights that have shaped his career as a cartoonist with listening playing a core role. Not just as a skill, but as a vital part understanding human patterns and through this tapping into human connection.

    \We explore how humor can serve as a bridge to deeper conversations and how the act of listening can inform and inspire creativity. Listen to the end, where David also shares how humor can help navigate serious conversations and lighten the mood.

    Enjoy listening in!

    “Listening is about connecting with people and understanding their experiences.” – Dave Coverly

    SUPERPOWER Notes:

    00:08 – The Power of Humor. Dave discusses how humor can provide a different perspective on serious topics and enhance communication.

    02:50 – Early Influences. Reflecting on his childhood experiences with his uncle and teacher that sparked his interest in listening and humor.

    10:15 – The Role of Observation. Dave explains how being an observant listener informs his cartooning process and helps him create relatable content.

    15:30 – The Importance of Context. Understanding how context shapes humor and the need to stay relevant in a changing world.

    22:00 – Listening as a Creative Tool. How deep listening can lead to new ideas and insights in both cartooning and everyday interactions.

    30:00 – The Impact of Silence. Exploring how silence can enhance the listening experience and foster deeper connections.

    35:00 – Humor in Serious Situations. Dave shares how humor can help navigate serious conversations and lighten the mood.

    42:00 – The Evolution of Humor. A discussion on how humor adapts to cultural changes and the importance of authenticity in comedic expression.

    Key Takeaways:

    “Doing humor is kind of that right brain, left brain thing." – Dave Coverly

    “Humor is a way to connect with people and share experiences.” – Dave Coverly

    “Listening is not just about hearing words; it’s about understanding the context and emotions behind them.” – Dave Coverly

    "I love the idea of having a cartoon as a pause for, to take a breath or pause to reset or a pause to allow another perspective or pause to give permission to another perspective."– Dave Coverly

    People Mentioned:

    1. Mike Peters - A cartoonist who provided Dave with valuable advice about humor and authenticity in cartooning.

    2. Christy Ottaviano - Dave's children's book editor, described as a legend in the industry.

    Connect with Dave Coverly:

    • https://www.speedbump.com/

    • https://www.instagram.com/speedbumpcomic/
    Show more Show less
    52 mins
  • Becoming More Relevant with the Better Listening Method: The Power of Active and Systemic Listening in Media Organizations with Nanna Holst

    Becoming More Relevant with the Better Listening Method: The Power of Active and Systemic Listening in Media Organizations with Nanna Holst
    Mar 31 2025
    In this episode of the Listening Superpower Podcast, we're joined by Nanna Holst to delve into how the media landscape's evolution, driven by new platforms, shifting consumption, and AI advancements, is swamping audiences with more information, but not necessarily more insight. We discuss how traditional media must transform, using active listening and engagement to stay pertinent as a bridge between the public and those in authority, as outlined in her insightful report. (Link below) Nanna Holst is an experienced journalist, editor and project manager with a demonstrated history of working in the media production industry. Skilled in Making People Reach Their Potential, Co-creation, Public Outreach, News Writing, Breaking News, Video Journalism, Journalism, Editing and Television. She is into teaching and coaching of young journalists, a strong program and project management professional based on constructive, solution based journalism and a strong sense of public service and democratic values. She is a graduate from the Danish National School of Journalism and Aarhus Business School. Also a Fellow from Constructive Institute at Aarhus University, developer of The Better Listening Method and helping news organizations listen better to their audiences. Also she is a keynote speaker. In this episode, Nanna explores the power of collective intelligence listening. She shares stories and examples of a new initiative called Better Listening for Journalists which engages the community into their journalistic process. By actively listening to and asking for thought-provoking questions, this approach not only strengthens relationships but also promotes better collaboration and a more harmonious society. "If we want to stay relevant in a world where everybody can be their own media, we have to know what is expected of us and what we can help them with to make everybody wiser and everybody happier and have this unity." - Nanna Holst SUPERPOWER Notes: 01:33 - That moment she noticed the power of listening: I was forced to train my listening skills at a very early age because I'm the little sister in a very talkative family. I had to listen very carefully to know where I can dive into the conversation and get heard. 04:12 - How has her view of listening changed through the years 05:18 - A journalistic way of listening versus listening to understand 06:11 - Establishing a concept program called Better Listening: We want to listen more actively and systematically 08:04 - Finding out the 'why of listening' for 'Better listening' 09:02 - What the whole 'Ask Us' method encapsulates 12:04 - The idea of collective intelligence in listening: It starts with the questions, but when we publish an answer, people chip in with their knowledge. 13:07 - Questions that fosters better communication, cooperation, and understanding 17:26 - Transparency involved in the answers written: If we can't get a perfect answer, we say, this is as far as we get, but does anybody out there know anything? 18:40 - 4 points that helps Better Listening listen better: Listen first, showing everyday humility, trust in the population, listen up 22:25 - Why listen. Not just for the checklist, but to really understand: You have to find out why you are listening, what do you want to get out of it, and what are your resources. 25:07 - What leaders should know about sustained listening in their organizations 28:11 - The inspiration behind the articles written: We could see that our engagement grew when we found a way to put a question formula and a ballot in each and every article. 30:08 - What has changed in her now doing Better Listening: I have known a little about a lot. 32:35 - Distinguishing between hearing and listening 33:29 - The dream she has for her legacy media in the next five years 35:36 - How she makes listening sustainable for her: I like to have markers everywhere that reminds me of this huge 'Why'. Key Takeaways: "...You can listen in a thousand ways. It's like a car that has movable parts. You can just adjust them in many different ways." - Nanna Holst “Listen first, show everyday humility, trust in the population, and listen up.” - Nanna Holst “...the missing link between wanting to listen and actually listening is some sort of method that keeps us on track, and make us work smart and not do the things that do not work.”- Nanna Holst “Listening is a skill. It's something that can be trained and we can learn it. “- Nanna Holst "Listen first. Keep focus on the audience. Trust in the population. Constantly learn and improve. These are the keys to better listening." - Nanna Holst Notes/Mentions: Better Listening Report: https://constructiveinstitute.org/app/uploads/2023/07/Nanna-Holst.pdf KQED Media: https://www.kqed.org Connect with Nanna Holst: Website: Website: https://www.nannaholst.dk/english-version/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nanna-holst Connect with Raquel Ark: ...
    Show more Show less
    40 mins
No reviews yet