Radical Listening

Most books on listening teach you to nod and repeat back what you heard. Radical Listening teaches you something more foundational: how to set a clear intention before the conversation begins, and how to use that intention to build real connection, not just comprehension.

Written by Christian van Nieuwerburgh and Robert Biswas-Diener, two leading positive psychology researchers and coaches, this practical framework organizes six core competencies into two skill sets that work together:

Internal listening skills - the mental habits that shape how you receive:
• Noticing - tuning into what's said, unsaid, and felt
• Quieting - managing inner noise so you can truly be present
• Accepting - suspending judgment to make space for others

External listening skills - the behaviors that signal deep attention:
• Acknowledging - validating the speaker's experience
• Questioning - asking in ways that open thinking, not close it
• Interjecting - knowing when and how to respond without redirecting

A dedicated chapter on listening across cultures makes this especially valuable for managers of diverse teams, and the research grounding throughout-including data on loneliness and its measurable health consequences-gives the framework real weight.

Ideal for coaches, leaders, therapists, and anyone whose work depends on human connection.

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Part One: Introduction to Radical Listening
• Part Two: Internal Listening Skills
• Part Three: External Listening Skills
• Part Four: The Listening Context
• Afterword
• Notes
• Acknowledgments
• Index
• About the Authors

“Although I've taken several coaching courses, all involving the importance of listening, Christian and Robert gave me new and useful distinctions and practices. I found myself cringing in recognition at times-‘Ack! I do that'-and then resolving to do better. If you're a leader, a parent, a coach, or a well-intentioned friend, there is a lot to learn here.”
-Tracy Hutton, Vice President of Global Learning, Leadership, and Talent Activation, Lululemon

“Radical Listening unlocks an entirely new level in the game for the workplace and the world at large. Given success at work for so many is anchored in listening for a living, the book is the ultimate map of what can get in the way and how to navigate to exceptional conversations. Superseding the performative limits of other listening models, Robert and Christian have mapped an entirely new archetype, with their insights grounded in cross-cultural storytelling and garnished with humor. At a time when the world desperately needs more and better listeners, Radical Listening decodes a profound new way to find meaning when we sit down, seek out, or log in to exchange words.”
-Lara Partridge, Head of Talent Asia Pacific, HSBC

“In this time when we desperately want to connect with people but don't feel our words are heard or valued, we all need to embody the teaching in Radical Listening. The energy you convey when you listen this deeply will engage others to open up to you. You will have more meaningful conversations and satisfying interactions. This book is a much-needed gift to humanity.”
-Marcia Reynolds, PsyD, author of Breakthrough Coaching and Coach the Person, Not the Problem

“One of the greatest gifts you can give someone is to be present: to see them and to hear them. This book shows you how.”
-Michael Bungay Stanier, bestselling author of The Coaching Habit