04/09/2026
Last week I sat in a room as a student, not a teacher. It was uncomfortable. Here is what it taught me.
I recently attended a communication masterclass at GoMyCode Kenya — not to network, not to be seen, but specifically to train my ability to listen. Most of the time I am the one teaching, leading, and moderating. I have done it so much that somewhere along the way I forgot how to listen, how to follow, and how to be led. In my mind I am always thinking — he should have done it this way, or she should have spoken differently, or they would have presented themselves better in that manner.
But when I realised I was getting worse at listening, I made a deliberate decision to change.
And it got me thinking — when was the last time you sat down to truly listen? Not to contribute or share your perspective, but simply to learn? When was the last time you had a conversation with a friend and honestly, patiently waited for them to finish before interjecting with your own side of the story? And be honest — were you even listening, or were you just waiting for your turn to speak?
With the current state of the world, almost everyone has an opinion — and technology has made sure of that. Everything we see, hear, and do seems to demand a reaction. We have opinions on how so and so should have done this or that. They should have waited until they were older to marry. He should have gone to a different university. They should support local manufacturing instead of shopping abroad. Everyone is now a self-declared expert in psychology, philosophy, religion, science, and marriage.
But if everyone is an expert — who is the actual EXPERT?
We are living in the middle of an information boom, and instead of making us wiser, it has made many of us harder to teach. We are so full of our own opinions that we cannot receive anything that challenges what we already know. We stopped being students the moment we got access to Google.
Maybe this is your sign. Maybe the reason you have not been growing or advancing is simply because you cannot listen. Take a step back. Get back in the room as a student.
Listen to learn.
When was the last time you were genuinely in a room to learn, not to lead? Drop it in the comments — I would love to know. 👇
