The Horse Listener: Enabling Abstract Thinking Through Active Listening (with Chad Jenkins)

Brief Summary of Episode #299

Growing up on his father’s farm, Chad Jenkins, President and CEO of SeedSpark, was always naturally curious.

And as he spent time more time around their family’s horses, he began to understand the power of active listening.

“They don’t speak verbally, but they do say a whole lot,” Chad said.

After entering the world of finance, he realized just how important a strong listening capability is. That’s because, through listening, you can learn how to ask the right questions.

By asking questions, we can gain new perspectives that can help us move forward.

“It takes a lot of practice and a lot of self-awareness,” Chad said. “Being able to take yourself out of that particular existence only comes from being curious.”

That curiosity mindset is going to be especially important in the Age of AI and ChatGPT.

If digital marketing teams want to take advantage of these innovative tools, they have to learn how to give proper context to their inputs.

“It’s an answer engine, not a search engine,” Chad told us. “Start connecting the dots and ask the right questions.”

By actively listening, we can ask the right questions and empower our teams to pursue the “why.” 

Key Insights and Takeaways

• Rising above the constant noise to gain new perception (2:17)
• James Robert Lay - Jedi Master (8:15)
• Training active listening by asking new questions (11:50)
• How ChatGPT and AI can enable natural curiosity (20:55)