To be a great leader , you need to have phenomenal listening skills . If you ’ re a fantastic listener , then hiring talented teams , leading people , and closing on your big sales is more effortless . Listening might even be the most crucial skill for getting hired at your dream job and achieving career success .

Throughout my work , I ’ ve observed different degrees of listening skills . To be the best listener , you need to listen to the highest degree possible . Here are my five degrees of listening skills , listed from worst to best .

1 . Not Listening : It ’ s tough to listen when you are the one making all the sounds in a room . Don ’ t be the one doing all the talking .

2 . Not Talking : Your future boss may think you are not smart enough to keep up , or you don ’ t really care if you just sit there and don ’ t talk .

3 . Nodding And Saying ‘ Mhm ’: Oh , good , at least you ’ re alive . But just nodding and making moaning noises is not super insightful and does not build rapport .

4 . Reflecting On What You Heard : Just say what they just said . If they said , “ Our growth strategy is primarily through international expansion ,” then a pure reflection would be to say , “ So , your growth strategy is international .” Your future boss will say , “ Yep ,” and will be only mildly impressed with you .

5 . Reflecting On The Emotion Behind The Statement : Understanding why someone is saying something with a specific emotion can give you further insight and the ability to read between the lines and give them a more proper answer .

Here ’ s an example . Imagine if your future boss just told you that the industry is changing extremely fast and that the company has been struggling to keep up . Degree 4 would be to say , “ The industry is changing fast . The company has to change fast .” This is child ’ s play compared to Degree 5 listening .

Degree 5 listening would be something like , “ It sounds like everything is changing so fast . It must be stressful keeping up .” Your future boss will say , “ Yes , it is .”

Then you add , “ You need to count on your team and know that they can keep up with the speed of change .”

Your future boss will say , “ Exactly .” Once you first hear the word “ exactly ,” the probability that you will receive a job offer is at least 80 %. That is because your future boss feels that you understand them , you care , and you are the person to deliver them something good or remove something bad .

We seek safety with others . We need to know whether someone is an ally or an enemy . Reflecting on the emotion behind a statement can help leap-frog you right into “ ally ” mode with your future boss and get you your dream job .

Dr . Geoff Smart is Chairman & Founder of ghSMART , a leadership consulting firm that exists to help leaders amplify their positive impact on the world . Dr . Smart and his firm have published multiple New York Times best sellers . He stays active in his community and has advised many government officials .

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