Stephen Covey shares a rule for success: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Though many acknowledge the importance of listening, it is a skill not frequently practiced. Join us as Lisa speaks with Christine Miles, Learning Expert & Developer of The Listening Path/CEO & Founder of EQuipt. Believing in the art of transformational listening, Christine strives to help you better navigate the most important conversations in your life.
Bio (in Christine’s words): I am the CEO and founder of EQuipt, and for three decades I have been serving organizations by helping them apply human skills to drive results and build cultures of empathy.
I grew up in rural Hershey, Pennsylvania, the youngest of two. I learned early in life that everyone has a story and that the ability to understand others’ is the key to success. My father was an entrepreneur who started his own financial planning firm when I was 5, instilling in me my love of business. My mother, though a kind, funny, and charismatic person, suffered from psychological issues, including depression and anxiety. From a young age, I became acutely aware that she had a lot of pain beneath the surface, so I learned to pay attention to emotional cues, listen differently, and truly understand and empathize with her pain and with the pain of others. Listening was the skill I used the most to connect with my mother and help my family navigate her struggles. While there was obvious burden in this responsibility, the silver lining was that I fine-tuned my ability to listen, and it led to many successes and achievements. In fact, my ability to listen differently has been the single thread through all my successes.
At 18, I knew I wanted to work in the field of psychology to make a difference. After receiving my M.S. Ed. in Psychological Services from the University of Pennsylvania, I discovered my passion for applying the principles of psychology to business. Through my upbringing and training, I gained an acute understanding that most people are not taught the critical human skills that I was. I decided to fill this gap by creating The Listening Path™ system to teach people how to listen differently. The Listening Path™ became the foundation of my book, What Is It Costing You Not to Listen?, which received the Axiom Business Book Awards’ Silver Award in the sales category.
It is my mission to create a listening movement that transforms the way our society communicates so that we have deeper connections with those around us and a greater impact on communities at large.
Christine’s Something Extra: Develop the skill of listening and share your one-word purpose succinctly.
