Stop Trying to Make People Understand You - David Landsman

Assuming that there is a significant understanding gap going on rather than making the opposite assumption, I already understand people, I already get it, I just need to be clear and they'll get what I'm saying.

Instead of that, you assume a big gap.

I think you're closer to reality, and so then your natural inclination after that is let me bridge the gap, let me understand better, let me work harder at this to see what's really going on under the surface.

I think sometimes there's a tendency to think it's the nice thing, it's the sympathetic thing to do, to think, "Well, we're all people.

We're all just trying to do the same things.

We're all on the same side." And that's where you get the misunderstandings.

Much better to think the other way around.

Actually, look, there are gonna be differences here.

Let's see if we can understand them and bridge them, but let's not start off with that assumption.

Welcome back, everybody.

I'm your host, Greg McKeown, and as you know, what we're interested in, what we're trying to focus on is the most important skill in life, communication.

We all come into the world knowing nothing about communication, and the skills we pick up in our family, in high school, and hopefully beyond that, are hugely impactful as to the outcomes that we're going to get from relationships, from the results we want to get in our careers, in our personal life, a- and also in the conflict that we face, the inherent conflict that is a total and absolutely necessary part of life.

How do we deal with that? And today, I'm so pleased to have David Lansley with us to help us go deep on this conversation.

Uh, he's a career diplomat turned business leader.

Uh, he, uh, knows all about bridging government, geopolitics, and corporate strategy.

Uh, he's a polyglot and a linguist, uh, with a PhD in modern Greek from the University of Cambridge, and a lifelong passion for languages and culture.

A strategic advisor, a board chair, uh, he helps companies navigate international markets and innovation.

He's a thought leader on communication.

He's the author of Channel Your Inner Ambassador.

Uh, he emphasizes in all of these things listening and clarity as strategic advantage, not something that's nice to have.

It's not about being understanding.

It's having understanding.

It's actually discovering that and as rapidly as possible.

Uh, there's so much to cover.

There's so much that, uh, David brings to the table.

David, welcome to the podcast.

Greg, thank you, uh, very much, and for all that flattery, um, I'm very grateful.

Assuming that there is a significant understanding gap going on rather than making the opposite assumption, I already understand people, I already get it, I just need to be clear and they'll get what I'm saying.

Instead of that, you assume a big gap.

I think you're closer to reality, and so then your natural inclination after that is let me bridge the gap, let me understand better, let me work harder at this to see what's really going on under the surface.

I think sometimes there's a tendency to think it's the nice thing, it's the sympathetic thing to do, to think, "Well, we're all people.

We're all just trying to do the same things.

We're all on the same side." And that's where you get the misunderstandings.

Much better to think the other way around.

Actually, look, there are gonna be differences here.

Let's see if we can understand them and bridge them, but let's not start off with that assumption.

Welcome back, everybody.

I'm your host, Greg McKeown, and as you know, what we're interested in, what we're trying to focus on is the most important skill in life, communication.

We all come into the world knowing nothing about communication, and the skills we pick up in our family, in high school, and hopefully beyond that, are hugely impactful as to the outcomes that we're going to get from relationships, from the results we want to get in our careers, in our personal life, a- and also in the conflict that we face, the inherent conflict that is a total and absolutely necessary part of life.

How do we deal with that? And today, I'm so pleased to have David Lansley with us to help us go deep on this conversation.

Uh, he's a career diplomat turned business leader.

Uh, he, uh, knows all about bridging government, geopolitics, and corporate strategy.

Uh, he's a polyglot and a linguist, uh, with a PhD in modern Greek from the University of Cambridge, and a lifelong passion for languages and culture.

A strategic advisor, a board chair, uh, he helps companies navigate international markets and innovation.

He's a thought leader on communication.

He's the author of Channel Your Inner Ambassador.

Uh, he emphasizes in all of these things listening and clarity as strategic advantage, not something that's nice to have.

It's not about being understanding.

It's having understanding.

It's actually discovering that and as rapidly as possible.

Uh, there's so much to cover.

There's so much that, uh, David brings to the table.

David, welcome to the podcast.

Greg, thank you, uh, very much, and for all that flattery, um, I'm very grateful.