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In 2005, when I was placed by ABC Consultants as Head HR at SAS India, they gifted a small Ganesh idol. At the time, it was a kind gesture to mark a milestone role in my career. I placed it on my desk without much thought. I liked the look of the idol and kept it on my desk – its been 20 years now.
I had once read that Ganesh’s ears are big, shaped like a winnow, while his mouth is small — a symbol that we must listen more and speak less. That little idol on my desk became more than just a token; it became a daily reminder of this wisdom.
It has been twenty years since then, and life has taken me through many roles — leading HR for large organizations, heading complex projects, setting up my own ventures, working across industries, and building communities of impact. With every passing year, I have only grown more convinced of the value of listening.
As I look back, I realize that practicing this kind of listening has been the thread connecting many of my professional successes and personal learnings. So on this Ganesh Chaturthi, I thought I would pause and share these reflections — not as abstract wisdom, but as distilled lessons from two decades of lived experience.
Listening Happens at Four Levels
a) listening to the self,
b) listening to other individuals
c) listening to groups, and
d) listening to systems / organizations.
When listening is absent at any of these levels, actions become misdirected.
Listening to the Self
Ayurveda teaches us that health is not just the absence of disease but the presence of harmony. To live in harmony, we must first listen — to the body, the mind, and the deeper atma tattwa (our conscience, soul, or inner compass).
When we ignore the body, it eventually screams in illness. When we ignore the mind, it gets trapped in cycles of anxiety or burnout. And when we ignore the soul, we drift from purpose and feel restless even in success.
Listening to Another Individual
Listening to another person is perhaps the hardest.
It means suspending our urge to reply, correct, or advise.
Like Ganesh’s winnow-shaped ears, it requires us to separate grain from chaff — to sift through the anger, complaints, or noise to find what really lies underneath.
Listening to Groups
Today, our conversations are increasingly within echo chambers. We listen only to people who think like us — our own community, political leaning, or professional circle. The result is polarization and mistrust. In organizations too, leaders often hear only the dominant voices, ignoring quieter voices in the room. True inclusion demands listening across the spectrum.
Groups flourish when we winnow wisely — separating ideas from egos, listening across differences, and allowing quiet voices to be heard.
Listening in Organizations
If there is one place where listening makes or breaks outcomes, it is in organizations. I have seen cultures labeled “toxic” not because of flawed strategies or poor intentions, but because leaders stopped listening. Engagement surveys and town halls become rituals if leaders are not willing to hear what lies beneath.
This is why I find Otto Scharmer ’s Theory U so valuable. He describes four levels of listening — downloading (hearing only what we already believe), factual listening, empathic listening, and finally, generative listening: tuning into the future that wants to emerge.
In my work at Sthir , this principle has become foundational. When leaders listen generatively, organizations unlock trust, resilience, and innovation. Without it, no initiative — whether wellbeing, DEI, or transformation — truly takes root.
Beyond Gyan
I will share some of the stuff I have been doing – I hope they give you some ideas too. It is easy to speak about listening as gyan. But for me, it comes alive in daily practice — across the different roles I play. And let me admit I am still “Work in Progress”
As a leader of an organization, listening means going beyond dashboards and surveys. I ask, “What is not being said?” I sit with teams not just to hear updates, but to notice what is unspoken — the hesitation before someone speaks, the patterns in silence. Sometimes holding that silence allows truths to surface that no survey could capture. In my experience, every strategy that ignores these subtle signals eventually loses direction. Listening keeps strategy anchored to reality.
As a parent, listening often means resisting the urge to correct or jump in. When a thought arises, I write it down rather than interject. Sometimes I simply nod or say, “Let me think about this.” Listening does not mean agreeing; it means honoring the voice in front of me.
As a learner, listening is about embracing diversity. I make friends outside my echo chamber, spend time with those who think differently, and intentionally expose myself to opposing perspectives. Like the old jingle said, “Har ek dost zaroori hota hai” — every friend brings a new window into the world.
As a spiritual seeker, listening begins with the self. Daily Sushumna Kriya Yoga for 49 minutes, the conscious practice of maunam / silence, and quiet reflection help me listen to my body, mind, and soul. In these silences, I have discovered that my intuition often speaks with far greater clarity than the noise of my overworked intellect.
Conclusion
Twenty years ago, I received a Ganesh idol as a gift. I did not know then that his ears would become my lifelong teachers. Today, I see them as more than artistic exaggeration. They are a reminder that leadership, relationships, and wellbeing all begin with the ability to listen deeply.
