If you ask Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, the C-Suite skill that matters most isn't decisiveness or the ability to command a room — it's being a good listener.
"Listening is such an underappreciated skill," the 54-year-old executive said Wednesday during an event for industry leaders hosted by GE in New York City.
Khosrowshahi explained: "There are all kinds of courses on executive leadership, and I still haven't seen a course on listening. Yet the common theme I've seen in life and with executives that are very high up on the ladder is that the higher you go in a company, the less you actually know about what's really happening on the ground."
'As a leader, you've got to set that example'
Speaking with Ford CEO Jim Farley, the head of the ride-hailing company stressed the importance of "walking the halls" and talking directly to employees across various teams to build a more positive, productive work environment.
"I see a lot of managers managing to KPIs versus actually understanding the product that they're delivering and how it's made," he explained. "As a leader, you've got to set that example."
At the height of the pandemic, Khosrowshahi said he moonlighted as an Uber driver to learn more about, and improve, the driver experience.
This isn't the first time Khosrowshahi has underscored listening as a critical leadership skill. In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, he said listening was the most important thing he learned from one of his mentors, media mogul Barry Diller.
"He really values learning even though he's an incredibly accomplished person," he said of Diller. "He listens, he'll push back against you, and ultimately you both leave the meeting having learned something."
Sarah Sarkis, a psychologist who works with Fortune 100 executives at Exos, a performance coaching company, agrees with Khosrowshahi.
What sets high achievers apart from everyone else, Sarkis told CNBC Make It in July, is that they excel at communicating — and active listening is "an important, underrated" part of that, she said.
"Few people know how to be fully present in a conversation and respond thoughtfully to what another person is saying," Sarkis added.
How to improve your listening skills on the job
To become a better listener at work, Sarkis recommends practicing reflective listening: Summarize what you hear and ask the other person if that is an accurate synopsis of what they just said.
And if you space out during a conversation or don't understand what the other person just said, ask open-ended questions, like: "How can I help you with this?" or "Can you give me an example?"
It's a skill that takes practice, but once you nail it, Sarkis says "there's so much more you can accomplish when the people you work with feel seen, heard and supported."
Want to be smarter and more successful with your money, work & life? Sign up for our newsletter!
Check out:
This is the No. 1 career mistake young people make 'all the time,' says Uber's CEO—how to avoid it
