Reflections from “Listening Leaders: Building Rapport and Community by Listening”
By Latasha Drax
Certified Listener Poet, Cohort 6
In November 2025, I had the privilege of facilitating a customized workshop, “Listening Leaders: Building Rapport and Community by Listening,” for the Ready TECH Hire program. This pre-apprenticeship initiative, offered by Women UnSilenced, empowers justice-impacted individuals to develop leadership skills while earning IBM industry digital badges.
The workshop moved beyond traditional communication, exploring how holding space, solidarity, and the art of silence serve as essential tools for effective leadership.
Transforming Trauma into a Leadership Asset
For those navigating the justice system, lived experience is often seen as a scarlet letter. Many suffer in silence and hide behind walls of shame and solitude, especially in the workplace. In this session, I reframed that narrative through the lens of: “How can my trauma or lived experience help me to listen intently as a leader?”
By applying the techniques of a Listener Poet, participants’ responses captured how a history of being “talked at” or “systematically silenced” can be transformed into a profound capacity for empathy. Each of their responses was shaped into a group poem, “In My Own Words.”
Silence: A Comfort, Not a Weapon
A core pillar of the workshop was the reclamation of silence. In many oppressive environments, silence is wielded as a weapon—a way to exert power, create tension, or shut others out. I focused on the need to transform silence into a comforting tool. By holding space without the rush to “fix” or “fill the air,” leaders can build a bridge of safety and establish rapport. This approach allows the speaker to feel seen and heard, rather than controlled.
Impact and the Path Forward
The feedback shared by the cohort was a powerful testament to the power of listening and the necessity of this work. When asked which techniques they would apply moving forward, participants highlighted:
Body Language: Communicating safety before a word is even spoken.
Solidarity: The quiet power of “standing with” someone through presence alone.
Listening: As one participant beautifully noted, "Some people really appreciate a good listener."
Several attendees expressed interest in an individual listener poetry session. I am honored to continue this work through one-on-one sessions specifically designed for individuals from marginalized communities who have historically been silenced.
In a world that is often filled with noise, the strongest leaders are those who know when and how to be silent with sensitivity.