Listening is a critical skill for leaders and managers alike, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. We often get distracted by what we want to say, rather than focusing on what someone else wants us to hear. But by listening well, you can engage employees, promote the discovery of ideas, and clarify your own thinking.

In this book, you’ll learn from the latest research what prevents you from hearing others, when to focus on your inner voice, and how to converse more effectively, so you better understand your counterpart’s emotions and point of view.

How to be human at work. HBR’s Emotional Intelligence Series features smart, essential reading on the human side of professional life from the pages of Harvard Business Review. Each book in the series offers proven research showing how our emotions impact our work lives, practical advice for managing difficult people and situations, and inspiring essays on what it means to tend to our emotional well-being at work. Uplifting and practical, these books describe the social skills that are critical for ambitious professionals to master.