Reading the blog, “The Art of Soulful Listening” by Greg Thomas, introduced me to a musical concept that immediately resonated—what jazz musicians call Big Ears. Thomas describes his deepening appreciation of jazz through immersive listening…
“The more I listened, the more I recognized patterns and devices of the music. The more I listened, the more I’d play by focusing on one instrument at a time, then two, then three, and so on, which attuned my ears to nuances that amplified the brilliance and magic that captivated me. Little did I realize that I was developing what musicians call Big Ears and paving a road to what the Jazz Leadership Project calls soulful listening.”
Soulful listening is “a dynamic act of thinking and feeling together, which opens the way to collective meaning and shared understanding.” It’s more than gathering information or responding with empathy. It’s generative—a way of listening that creates space for emergence and transformation. The concept of Soulful Listening resonates deeply with me. It echoes a journey I’ve been on for years—as a coach, facilitator, and learner of how presence shapes connection. The jazz-inspired idea of “Big Ears,” listening with such presence that you’re attuned to both the rhythm and the silence, the notes, and the intention deepens an understanding of listening. In many ways, soulful listening is the “next step” after foundational practices like active and empathic listening.
In my post, Active Listening May Be Insufficient, I wrote about how active listening is often taught as a list of behaviors: maintain eye contact, nod, summarize. While useful as a starting point, this version of listening can remain performative. It’s listening but without necessarily engaging with the other person’s experience. It could keep the listener in control by appearing attentive without sufficient understanding of what you are hearing.
In Coaching and Empathic Listening, I described the shift from listening to respond to listening to understand. Empathic listening requires vulnerability. It means feeling alongside the speaker and allowing their emotions to resonate within you. It’s no longer about solving, steering, or even soothing. It’s about being present in a shared emotional space.
I offered confirmatory paraphrases as a practical tool to help listeners reflect understanding back to the speaker without shaping or controlling the conversation in Coaches Listening Skills. Confirmatory paraphrasing allows for meaning to be co-constructed rather than imposed. It respects the speaker’s ownership of their thoughts while deepening clarity and trust. It’s a move from assumption to curiosity—from knowing to wondering.
Listening that is active, empathic, and confirmatory forms a foundation. Soulful listening invites us into a space of being rather than doing with these five practices.
- Stillness: Quieting the internal chatter, agendas, and need to fix. This means resisting the urge to jump in with strategies and solutions.
- Presence: Fully inhabiting the moment. Not just physically, but emotionally and energetically.
- Receptivity: Opening ourselves to the other person’s thoughts, emotions, and even discomfort without trying to reshape or minimize it.
- Humility: Letting go of the need to be the expert. Acknowledging that the speaker may have the wisdom they need, if we’re patient enough to help them find it.
- Trust: Believing in the process of shared inquiry. Trusting that something valuable will emerge if we hold space with care and curiosity.
“In jazz, “Big Ears” means hearing beyond your instrument. A musician with big ears is tuned into the whole group. They don’t just wait for their solo—they respond, shift, and flow with what’s happening around them. They trust the music to lead them somewhere new.”
(Greg Thomas)
In a coaching context, soulful listening means listening beyond words. It means attuning to what’s being said, what’s left unsaid, and what’s being felt. It’s about showing up not just to help—but to witness. Big Ears in coaching encourages:
Listening for emotional tone, not just content
Sensing hesitation, excitement, or frustration.
Being willing to pause, let silence do its work, and follow the teacher’s lead.
Soulful listening is not a technique to master—it’s a way of being to practice. It takes intention, reflection, and humility. And like jazz, it’s a lifelong exploration. Soulful listening can transform coaching conversations from transactional to transformational. When we listen soulfully, we’re not just helping someone make a plan—we’re helping them hear themselves more clearly. We’re creating space for clarity, confidence, and insight to emerge. What possibilities might arise when we listen with Big Ears—and an open heart?
