The Powerful Gift of Listening: A Legacy (and Concept) Worth Celebrating

In our line of work, listening is not a step in the process. It is the process.

Listening has been at the heart of Savage since its founding over 50 years ago, shaped by our founder Paula Savage Hansen, whose legacy of deep curiosity and intentional listening continues to influence who we are today.

Paula built this company on the belief that when we truly listen to our clients, to each other, and to the world around us we uncover what matters most. And from that place of understanding, meaningful work is possible. In fact, active listening is so ingrained at Savage, it is one of our core cultural behaviors.

In our line of work – branding, cultural transformation, marketing and communications – listening is not a step in the process. It is the process. Listening (to our team, to clients, to the market) allows us to ask smarter questions. It helps uncover blind spots, see under the surface, clarify what might be misunderstood, or find what’s waiting to be discovered. We also listen to what the world is telling us – about trends, expectations, social shifts, and cultural context – so that we can help our clients stay not only relevant, but resonant.

More importantly, listening helps us build relationships. When I was a “new” leader, I attended a workshop at Rice University. The speaker had us do an active listening exercise that I will never forget. With a randomly assigned person, I had to listen to my partner tell a 30-second story and then share back what I heard. This seemingly simple exercise forced me to actively listen to what my partner was saying. I didn’t have the space to mentally interrupt, or to think of a question I may have wanted to ask, advice I might want to give or even give thought to what my own story would be when it was my turn to share. And guess what? It was REALLY hard. But the result was awesome – an opportunity to learn something authentic from a virtual stranger and an unexpected friendship burgeoned from a two-minute exercise.

In a noisy world that often rewards speed and soundbites, let’s double down on active listening – the kind that slows you down just enough to hear the truth, the pain, the aspiration or the opportunity beneath the surface. I encourage you to put away your phone in your next meeting (or meal), stop thinking about what we need to check off our to-do list and make the space to just listen. You will be amazed by what you hear.