James Strong was the Chief Executive and Managing Director of Qantas (1993 to 2001). He was a key figure in transforming the Australian aviation industry, overseeing the merger of Qantas and Australian Airlines, and the public float of Qantas. He was also a listener. I have been a business consultant for over 40 years and have travelled a lot in that work. Freshly decked out in a new suit on my way to a Sydney assignment I arrived late at the check-in for my Qantas flight. Entering from the rear door I took off my new jacket and looked around for where I could stow it neatly, first opening an overhead locker, which I soon saw was full of oxygen bottles and masks. Slamming that I opened the next locker which was full of flight attendants' hats! A voice beside me then asked: "Are you blind sir?

The art of elegantly interrupting someone involves gentle timing and respectful language. You can’t just steam in and tell somebody to “Shut Up And Listen To Me” however, we have all felt like doing that at some stage. You need to pause someone smoothly, even if they have been rabbiting on for ages!

One time we were talking about friends and how they changed over time, and my wife mentioned that she had a kind of ranking system, where some friends were more than just plain friends. I heard, and said yes, I had some friends that were really special too.

But I didn’t listen.

I’ve just finished listening to another excellent book by Johan Hari. “Stolen Focus” which looks at the impact of lack of connection and focus in our lives. It particularly looks at social media: the irony of this piece being on social media is not lost on me. 😐

You are out with a friend, you're talking about footy and shit (enter your own version of footy and shit)), and the next, you're sharing something deep. What happens next? You lean in, focus your attention, and listen. That’s where empathy begins!

Listening isn’t just about hearing words? Listening can be like putting on a pair of special glasses that allow you to see the world through your friend’s eyes. This is empathy, and it makes friendships deeper and stronger. When we really listen, we pick up on subtle cues—tone of voice, expressions, and even the emotions behind the words. 

Listening isn’t just about hearing words; it’s like the secret ingredient in the recipe for mental well-being. When you listen actively, you’re doing more than just nodding and saying “uh-huh.” You’re creating support and understanding that can help someone feel valued and heard. It's like lifting a weight off their shoulders!

Think of listening as a superhero cape. When you wear it, you become the hero of the conversation. You help others express their feelings and worries—anything from a tough day at work to exciting news. You become a trusted ear, and that can be a game-changer for their mental health.

I don’t know why but every time I think of the word “wait” the song Mr Postman goes off in my head The Marvellettes classic 1961 song.

Wait Mister Postman

Oh yeah

(Is there a letter in your bag for me) Please, Please Mister Postman

(Why's it been a very long time) Oh yeah

(Since I heard from this boyfriend of mine)

The way the song starts with a dramatic WAIT! It is such a great start to a song. Ah, I have the song in my head now. Anyway………

When I watched the news, every year on Boxing Day I would see thousands of people lining up ready for the doors to open on the Boxing Day Sales. Queues of people would form outside shops just waiting for the moment the doors would be swung open, and they could get their hands on some heavily reduced product. An interviewer would go up and down the queue and talk to the people, some had

When I was with The Men’s Table we did some media training that stuck in my head. It was a simple, brilliant solution of what to do when you are in a difficult situation with the media.  The person doing the training gave us a situation where something really bad had happened and The Daily Telegraph were knocking at the door wanting blood for their readers to lap up. What do you do? It is tricky as you have to make sure you do not make the situation worse. 

Everyone knows about the Titanic. Huge ship, iceberg, boom – disaster. But what's often missed is that they got tons of warnings about ice and nobody listened. The radio guys were passing them along, but the captain, he didn't seem to listen, you could say he iced the radio operators. (Thank you). He changed course a bit, but didn't slow down. Plus, those radio guys were swamped with “important” messages from passengers – like, "Hey, Ethel, having a great time!"

I’ve done lots of silly things in my life, probably more than most; it has led to an interesting life I suppose. A lot of what I have done has been spontaneous and ended in some kind of issue arising, being in various levels of issueness. From fully grabbing an electric fence when I was a kid, right through to some stuff that has put me in life threatening situations. If I were a cat I would have used up half of my lives by now. However, I could have avoided these situations if I had been listening.   Read on….

From the late 1960s through to the mid-1980s hijacking of planes was a regular thing.  A group of people would board a plane with some kind of agenda and divert it by getting the crew to fly the plane somewhere else. They would announce “This is a hijack, nobody do anything silly.” Read on……

Things stick in your head sometimes, sometimes for years. Many years ago somebody came into my life, and I can’t say I ever really liked him. He was bombastic and had done very well for himself; financially he was loaded let’s say.  He was a friend of a friend and we just kept crossing paths. Read more below…….