ABSTRACT
The tendency to be defensive and to not really hear what is being said can be strong and it can be very detrimental to our personal development. Being a good listener can be difficult enough in neutral circumstances—but it can be especially challenging when we find ourselves in a situation where we are receiving feedback. Sam Reese is the CEO of Vistage Worldwide, an organization that assembles and facilitates peer groups for CEOs and business leaders across the globe. Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond emphasizes the importance of good inquiry in any learning situation. A big part of any type of education is learning to ask questions, to listen for answers, to figure out how to inquire and look for evidence, and seeking additional input to come to reasoned conclusions and ways of looking at the world. That's one of the things we can do in schools: we can really organize some of the work in schools around questioning.
