Leadership and the Lost Art of Listening with Julian Treasure
What if the key to better leadership isn’t just speaking... but also listening? In today’s episode, I sit down again with Julian Treasure, a man whose name says it all—his insights truly are a treasure. I'll start by saying that I am thrilled to have Julian back on the show. Julian is a global authority on sound and listening, and how both shape leadership, communication, and connection. In this episode, we explore his powerful new book, Sound Affects - spelled with an “A” for a reason, and dive into why the world needs to relearn the lost art of listening. We talk leadership and the dangerous consequences of leaders who can’t, or won’t, hear the truth. Julian shares lessons from his time in sales, publishing, and running The Sound Agency, as well as the life experiences that tuned his ears to the profound power of sound.
Live Like a Leader with John Bates · Julian Treasure, John Bates
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Show Notes
From snapping shrimp to blue whales, from silence to soundscapes, we cover:
- Why diversity of opinion is vital in leadership
- How sound affects everything from productivity to health
- Simple daily practices to instantly improve your listening, and be heard more clearly in return
- What business gets wrong about audio—and how to fix it
- The importance of designing your acoustic environment with intention
Julian also shares a generous offer for my listeners: a free one-week trial of his new online community, The Listening Society. Whether you're a team leader, teacher, or simply someone who wants to deepen their relationships, The Listening Society offers tools, insights, and a community that helps you grow through sound.
🎧 If you care about connection, leadership, sound, or if you just want to create a more peaceful, powerful world, I think you’ll want to soak in every minute of this wonderful conversation.
Join The Listening Society and claim your free trial here:
👉 https://listen.thelisteningsociety.community/1wk
📖 Read Julian's powerful new book: Sound Affects
🔉 Find Custom Soundscapes to Focus, Relax & Sleep: mynoise.net - thanks to Julian for mentioning it. Very cool!
🌐 Check out Julian's main website here: https://www.juliantreasure.com/
👂 Listen to his first appearance on the show here: https://www.livelikealeader.show/episodes/episode-90-julian-treasure
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Julian Treasure is an author and speaker on conscious listening, powerful speaking and the power of sound. His five TED talks, including the sixth most-viewed of all time, have been viewed more than 150 million times; his online courses have taught over 150,000 students; and he is regularly featured in the world's media. He has been honoured with both Toastmasters International’s Golden Gavel Award and the International Listening Associations's Special Recognition award.
For 20 years, Julian helped major brands to design effective sound in spaces. Now, his passion is to generate listening in a world that has forgotten this critical skill.
Julian’s first book ‘Sound Business’ is a seminal work on effective business sound; his second ‘How To Be Heard’ won SOVAS and Audie global awards; and his third ‘Sound Affects,’ about the power and wonder of sound and the importance of listening, is published worldwide in 2025.
Based in Orkney, Scotland, Julian is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Marketors, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a longtime musician.
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John Bates provides 1:1 Executive Communications Coaching, both in-person and online. He also gets 92+ Net Promoter Scores for his large and small group leadership development trainings at organizations like Johnson & Johnson, NASA, Google, Intuit, Boston Scientific, and many more. Find more at https://executivespeakingsuccess.com.
Sign up for his weekly micro-trainings for free at https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings and create a great leadership communications habit that makes you the kind of leader who inspires trust, loyalty, and connection.