Commitment of

Listening
By Tony Zampella

What is listening? Let me begin with this: Speaking is insufficient

to say what listening is. As soon as we breathe a word about
listening, we’ve reduced its fullness; we’ve defined and limited a
human phenomenon that is misunderstood, under-appreciated,
and highly involved.

We tend to observe listening as the opposite of speaking. In other

words, if you are not speaking then you must be listening. These
observers engage a fatal error.

Listening is a commitment first, then capacity, and then skill. If this

is news to you, please consider, whether at some point you’ve
reduced listening to something much less than what is possible.

The fullest definition I can muster for listening will be inadequate,

and ... it involves all of the ways we become aware of, perceive,
and observe the world and ourselves. At its fullest, listening
consists of a radical openness of mind, heart, and will that
expands awareness of self, focuses attention on others, and
generates meaning from deeper intention.

Listening operates both as a skill for receiving and clarifying

content and as a commitment that shapes the context for
perceiving, understanding, and acting on that content. In
sum, listening is decisive; it shapes how we perceive situations,
what we say, and what we act on.

Learning that transforms leadership

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 Levels of Listening
Levels of Listening are categories of mindsets based on the notion that each of us listens from a set of concerns given by our view of
reality. We are driven by an attention-focus dynamic. We focus on concerns that drive our attention.

1. Listening to Protect
We React – We care about protecting, so we pretend, control, Listening in Organizational Life
and project.
Levels two and three underscore organizational
Focus of Attention: To control events life today. Up to 83% of managers and executives
Communications: Defensive/Habitual listen from levels 2 or 3. These experts, executives,
physicians, college professors, CEOs, and consultants
In this mindset, we focus on whatever captures or hooks often dig in and listen through knowledge to prove or
our attention as an ambition, threat, or problem. We react to disprove another’s point of view.
threatening situations by downloading information, reflexively, in
ways that protect and preserve our current attention patterns. Level two and three listening is steeped in objective-
based reality, knowledge, and expertise sometimes
from anecdotal evidence or grounded beliefs (level 2)
2. Listening to Facts or research, science, and patterns (level 3).

We Respond – We care most about certainty and finding facts. We Typical for these listeners, they “believe” that we
become better at solving and informing. can plan for or predict change, whenever a problem
arises with any new initiative, product, or service.
Focus of Attention: To respond to events
Communications: Debate/Conform These managers assume any failure to produce
change or follow through on change efforts is due to
This mindset embraces an empirical view of reality, seeking out lack of knowledge or clarity. They convene meetings,
details in any situation. We often repeat what has been heard to create new PowerPoint decks, or conduct surveys to
ensure accuracy, and can be found explaining and describing further explain the process and clarify details.
reality in concrete and absolute terms. This listening can seem
transactional. What level two and three listeners miss, and
cannot perceive, is beyond knowledge: while
workers will comply with directions or defined tasks,
3. Listening to Know these knowledge-based efforts are not the same
as committing to new initiatives or setting new
We Predict – We care most about leveraging knowledge to directions, which require venturing into the unknown.
expand opportunity. We become better at predicting and
When engaging change, workers tend to hold back
anticipating.
performance if they do not feel heard, if ideas are
Focus of Attention: To predict events not received or are dismissed, if a previous change
Communications: Explain/Expand initiative was never acknowledged, completed
correctly or promptly, or if changes are imposed.
This mindset relies on objective knowledge to leverage
opportunities. With an objective and rational view of reality, we Only a level four listener can perceive this gap.
focus on patterns of data and research to produce effective Neither clear process, detailed facts, nor sound
results, achieve long-term goals, and predict situations. knowledge is the issue. Workers lack motivation, do
not feel appreciated, nor do they trust what is being
presented. A level two or level three manager will
insult workers’ intelligence or patronize them by

Up to 83% of managers repeating the facts, or explaining the process.

and executives listen

A listener at level four will confront and release the
tension, and begin rebuilding the trust necessary to
create change or engage new ideas.
from levels 2 or 3.

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 4. Listening to Relate
We Connect – We care most about understanding others and find
ourselves respecting, appreciating, and empathizing.

Focus of Attention: To achieve mutual understanding

Communications: Dialogue/Negotiate

This mindset observes and experiences different worldviews or

viewpoints as legitimate. We add these perspectives to our own
listening. Different experiences and worldviews reveal biases,
concerns, and commitments that shape our listening and actions.
We embrace complexity and a nuanced understanding of reality
that includes data and knowledge to reveal an objective view,
while appreciating how perceptions and worldviews shape
context and subjective experiences.
An empathic view offers new perspectives beyond our own
concerns (level 1), what the data reveals (level 2), or what Goal versus Commitment
knowledge proves (level 3). We are now comfortable in dialogue
Examining listening through this mindset model
with each other.
distinguishes being (mindsets) as increasing
Paraphrasing Peter Senge (1990), from his research on systems awareness, and doing (more skills) as improving
thinking, “dialogue is the capacity of members of a team to results.
suspend assumptions and enter into a genuine thinking together,
allowing the group to discover insights not attainable individually.” In sum, improving results may achieve goals;
increasing awareness expands mindset. Only from
mindset can we live (being) our commitment.
5. Listening to Being The difference in quality between increasing
We Create – At this level we empower others, which finds awareness (being) and achieving goals (doing) is
us generating, creating, and transforming. quite remarkable. Briefly, listening as “doing skills”
will occur as transactional or as performing.
Focus of Attention: To create together from the unknown
Communications: Generativity/Collective Creativity We can do things correctly, follow scripts, say what
needs to be said, and look right, and never actually
This mindset rarely occurs in organizations. At this level we embody the mindset to live that commitment.
observe emerging whole views of reality that result from letting
go of “either/or” fragmented thinking, to adopting a view of Others feel, sense, and perceive this difference.
reality with a “both/and” approach to perceiving and embracing Often it accounts for what we term an “authenticity”
paradoxes. gap. To become anything requires increasing
awareness.
Embracing discovery finds these listeners understanding that what
we perceive is the tip of an iceberg of what is unseen. And so they Anyone who has ever taken up any art, craft, or sport
lead with questions or observations, rather than offering answers, will recognize this difference. We can learn the skills
pronouncements, or explanations. to run. But if we wish to enter a marathon we must
From this deep attention and awareness, we realize that we alone become a runner. Becoming a runner impacts our life:
do not “make things happen” but rather participate in ways that how we sleep, what we eat, drink, who we socialize
reveal and realize what is already-and-always-available wanting to with, choice of exercise routine, and even what we
emerge. read and pay attention to. The experience of being
a runner is quite distinct from someone who merely
Researcher, Otto Scharmer (2009) points to this “participatory runs.
consciousness” as “akin to what musicians experience when
individual players can listen to the whole, and simultaneously In a mindset model, each level evolves and expands
attune their own instrument to an emerging pattern they are able to a new level of awareness to include skills,
to co-create something new together.” strengths, and awareness of each previous level to
This is a critical limitation in conventional education, where cultivate commitment as a mindset.
learning often involves grasping abstraction through new skills,
We invite this inquiry into developing a mindset as a
knowledge, and concepts without the practices and participation
commitment for listening.
to access the deeper connections, meaning-making, and
understanding required to contemplate, embody, and enact
concepts.

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 Qualities of Listening
On this page, I offer a grid to distinguish each listening level or mindset with a description of each mindset, its strengths, limitations,
the catalyst of change, and the percentage of the population at each level.

A. Level/Mindset B. Strengths C. Limitations D. Catalyst of Change E. % of People

1. Listen to Protect Reckless and Impulsive;

We React Easy, simplistic choic- US Adults: 15.5%
focus on self. Impatience Desire to plan, and
es; quick judgments.
Time: Immediate leads to frustration and improve results. Managers: 10.5%
Rejects feedback.
Teenager neglect.

2. Listen for Facts Conforms to evidence,

Cautious and avoids
(conforming) and leverages beliefs for
confrontation. Can Desire to become US Adults: 36.5%
We Respond problem-solving. Uses
become controlling. proactive and to expand
clichés, superlatives. Managers: 48%
Time: Efficient Beliefs can lead to beyond beliefs.
Feedback only accepted
Young Adult dogma and group-think.
from experts.

3. Listen to Know Objective knowledge

Questions evidence
(expanding) limits view of reality. Desire to expand beyond
to expand knowledge, US Adults: 30%
We Predict Change requires trusting objective reality (get out
discern patterns, and
beyond objective facts. of the box), and individual Managers: 35%
Time: Effective predict success. Accepts
Challenged by abstract worldview.
Executive feedback on behavior.
thoughts.

Subjective experience, Desire for clarity of

4. Listen to Relate Confusion over relativism
nature of bias & multiple purpose, and deeper
We Reveal/Connect of differing worldviews US Adults: 11%
views offers fuller under- meaning. Expand beyond
and viewpoints, and
Time: Timely standing of self, others, self. Explore source of Managers: 5%
increased complexity.
Servant and situations. Open to limitations, constraints,
Decision paralysis.
and asks for feedback. and shadow work.

5. Listen for Being Clarity of purpose; man-

We Create ifests intentions. Appre- N/A. Not enough data to Desire for greater US Adults: 7%
ciates all other levels. assess in organizational freedom through
Time: Timeless Open and clear. Seeks context. connectedness. Managers: 1.5%
Alchemist feedback for growth.

TABLE A © 2016 Zampella Group Inc. Not for use without permission. www.zampellagroup.com

The table above provides five levels of listening and their associated mindsets, and five columns as follows.

Column A “Mindsets”: Identifies qualities of each mindset and Column E “Percentages”: Offers data to gauge listening in the
archetype (Teenager to Alchemist) with its view of time. adult population and listening mindsets that managers embody.

Column B “Strengths”: Highlights some of the strengths from The largest swath, 66.5%, of the adult population, and 83% of
each mindset. managers listen from level 2 or 3. This is organizational life, and
represents a focus of development to expand listening.
Column C “Limitations”: Highlights key limitations from each
mindset. Note: Consider that we often view reality through a dominant
mindset during stable times that are predictable. When
Column D “Catalyst of Change”: Identifies the catalyst for change threatened, we tend to revert to a previous mindset. This can
to the next mindset. Identifies needs that arise to motivate one to find people operating between the levels above. Through practice
expand listening. (Table B) we will find ourselves growing in our listening.

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 Developing Listen Mindsets
A. Level/Mindset B. Frames C. Attitude D. Practices

1. Listening to Protect Impulsive I Defend Myself

We React No Practices.
Right – Wrong. I am right.
Teenager Good – Bad. I am not bad.

2. Listening for Facts Empirical I Debate Others Observe triggers and reactions.
(conforming) Know – Don’t Know. I know that.
We Respond Distinguish assumptions from facts.
True (Truth) – False. That’s (not) true.
Young Adult Agree – Disagree. I disagree. Paraphrase speaking.

Include #2, Notice filters and Bracket (suspend)

3. Listen for Knowledge Competitive I Predict Situations assumptions.
(expanding) Win – Lose. What’s the problem?
We Predict Pause between daily events, breathe 3 times,
Success – Fail. I can fix that. and feel the ground beneath our feet.
Executive Problem – Answer. View opportunities.
Begin regular breathing.

Include #3, when in conversation: Drop

4. Listening to Relate Cooperative We Dialogue agenda/point of view. Be open to resistance.
We Reveal/Connect Be willing to receive another (view) as
I – We. That’s my viewpoint.
legitimate.
Servant It – Thou. Do other views exist?
Daily breathing (min. 20 min/day)

5. Listening for Being Integral We Co-Create Include #4, with silence and stillness, witness
We Create blind spots, and cultivate openness.
Clarity – Confusion. What’s possible?
Alchemist Inquiry – Insight. What’s emerging? Reframe assumptions to transform perceptions.

TABLE B © 2016 Zampella Group Inc. Not for use without permission. www.zampellagroup.com

The frames and practices in the table above detail the subtle frames, views, and attitudes that can shape, constrain and expand our
listening. Use this table as a complement to the Qualities of Listening in Table A.

Column A “Mindsets”: Lists some of the qualities at each level Column D “Practices”: Lists some Practices at each level. When
and mindset (5) of listening. practiced, we can engage each level fully and consistently, and
also cultivate the next level of listening.
Column B “Frames”: Reveals some Frames for each mindset. The
bolded words—Impulsive, Conforming, Competitive, Cooperative, It is important to say a word about practice. We do not suggest
and Integral—captures the fundamental focus of listening at each practicing to achieve some goal, or to achieve “perfection”
level. (whatever that is). We practice to practice. 

The other words, such as Win-Lose, Success-Fail, Problem-Answer An increase in practicing develops a keen observer. Interestingly,
(as listed in level 3), frame concerns that drive the attention of that once we observe and experience our own listening, and then
mindset’s listening. engage practices, we loosen the grip any constraints may have on
us.
Column C “Attitudes”: Reveals our Attitudes. These prevalent
attitudes such as, “I am right,” or “I am not bad,” (level 1), with the Awareness loosens constraints, which finds us evolving our
frame “I defend myself” (Column B). As we practice listening when listening that can over time empower a commitment to listening.
we interact with others, we experience our frames and attitudes.

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 Openness to Change
Based on evidence and research on listening, I am suggesting something quite different: that our listening evolves from awareness at the
intersection of two fundamental capacities: Level of Openness and Continuum of Change.

Level of Openness Continuum of Change

The Y-Axis (vertical) ranks our Level of Openness to uncertainty. The X-Axis (horizontal) Continuum of Change defines our view of
At the bottom of the axis we are not open (or closed-minded). unpredictability. The axis begins (far left) as fixed and permanent.
Then we become open to knowing, receiving what’s provable or This view rejects change. The next view, stable-order, perceives
concrete. The next level is open to not knowing; here we begin to an orderly world with an occasional view of change. Then we see
value subjective experiences and multiple views. incremental change, a view that accepts change as regular, and
as extrapolated from the past to manage and leverage.
Openness to inquiry holds questions, tensions, and paradoxes,
often for a lifetime. Einstein’s question, “What is the nature of The view of non-linear change underscores change as
reality?” guided his life and created new fields of scientific inquiry. normal and unpredictable. Then finally impermanence expands
The final level open to possibility is to be freely open. Our level of “now” (this moment) to embrace the order in chaos, which,
openness discloses our capacity to experience anything, newly, to ironically, finds change disappearing as a concern.
accept a fresh or new perspective on ideas, concepts, viewpoints,
people, experiences­­—viewing the familiar with a beginner’s mind.

TABLE C © 2016 Zampella Group Inc. Not for use without permission. www.zampellagroup.com

Open to Possibility
Clearing. Emptiness.
5
Creative. Embodying.
Level of Openness

Open to Inquiry
Letting Come. Affective. 4
Complexity. Ambiguity.

Open to Not Knowing

Letting Go. Risk-taking. 3
Effective. Enacting.
Knowledge to Expand.

Open to Knowing
Efficient. Problem-solving. 2
Knowledge to Conform.

Not Open-Closed
Impulsive. Habitual. 1
Defensive. Reactive.

USA Adult Population 15.5% 36.5% 30% 11% 7%

USA Managers & Supervisors 10.5% 48% 35% 5% 1.5%
UK Managers & Consultants 2% 21% 33.5% 23.5% 20%

Permanent Stable Incremental Non-Linear Impermanence

Fixed Order Change Change Chaos

Continuum of Change2

Levels 1-3 comprise about half of the grid, yet include 82% of the adult population and 93.5% of our manager population. Becoming a
listener as a commitment finds us living in the dynamic flow of life: receiving new ideas, learning from our experiences, expanding our
views, and letting go of beliefs that isolate us.

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 Acknowledgments
The material in this brief is part of an ongoing enterprise by Tony Zampella. This inquiry involves the cultivation of a commitment,
specifically in this case the commitment to listening. The research, methods and practices herein rely on work by these scholars, thinkers
and philosophers.

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1
2002 COOK-GREUTER. N=4510 USA (1999) mixed adult population (a); N=497 USA managers/supervisors (b); N=535 UK (c).

2
The data by Susanne R. Cook-Greuter includes priests and prisoners, accountants and artists, and subjects spanning ages 18-82 with the middle 35-65 being the most
represented. N=4510 USA (1999) mixed adult population; N=497 USA managers/supervisors; N=535 UK.

The material can be used by others with proper attribution to Zampella Group Inc. at www.zampellagroup.com.

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