Most people underestimate the importance of communication skills and overestimate their communication abilities. Communication researchers and consultants Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman put it this way in a Harvard Business Review article, “Chances are you think you’re a good listener. People’s appraisal of their listening ability is much like their assessment of their driving skills, in that the great bulk of adults think they’re above average.” While 90 percent of people think they are excellent listeners, communication experts suggest only 17 percent of people consistently demonstrate high-level listening competencies. That means 73 percent are overestimating their listening behavior, and that overestimation is costly in business. To effectively run a practice, leaders must continually work on listening, writing, and verbal skills that enable them to understand others and share complex information in clear, concise, and straightforward ways. This session offers insights and activities to increase active listening, nonverbal communication, writing, and verbal skills. It focuses on understanding, empathy, and maximizing interpersonal influence.