There's a wonderful scene in the film, The 13th Warrior. At first, Ibn Fadlan (played by Antonio Banderas) needs to have everything translated by his mentor (played by Omar Sharif). When he sets out with the group on their great adventure, he no longer has a "cultural insider" to help him and he must fend for himself.
(The film is based on Michael Crichton's great book, Eaters of the Dead. That book, in turn, is based on true diaries of an Arab, Ahmad ibn Fadlan, who traveled with the Vikings.)
The film does a great job of demonstrating how he acquires the language he needs. When he surprises the Vikings by speaking their language aloud for the first time, they demand to know where he learned it,
"I listened..."
What a simple and profound lesson is contained in those two words. Imagine what we could learn about each other by just listening patiently.
Listening is a skill that is helpful in crossing cultures as well as in social media, marketing and public relations.
When has "just listening" paid off for you?
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