A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend the CEO Bootcamp, an intensive three-day workshop with Verne Harnish, author of Scaling Up. In one of the sessions, a simple, almost obvious phrase appeared: “It's more important to be interested than to be interesting.”.
Y Of course, it stuck with me and led me to some reflections that are valid for both communication and business leadership. Because in a business world focused on standing out, impressing, and convincing, this idea proposes the exact opposite: connecting isn't about shining, it's about looking at the other person. And in communication, leadership, and business, this difference changes everything. And in what moments, as a businesswoman, do I think this phrase makes sense?
When we talk to the media...
In PR, we usually start with a very clear question: what do we want to communicate? We are always looking for “the good news,” the attractive angle, the headline that will get a journalist's attention.
But reflection is inevitable: what if, before trying to be interesting, we dedicated ourselves to being genuinely interested? Interested in what the journalist needs, in what they are looking for, in the stories that truly matter to their audience. It's not about ceasing to tell our own stories, but about first understanding theirs.
And with this, I don't mean to say that we don't do it from the agencies. We are always reinforcing relationships, having in-depth conversations to understand. However, these should not be isolated tactics, but permanent actions of our work, where we invest a larger percentage of time in understanding than in selling.
When we work with our clients...
As consultants, we are experts at coming up with brilliant ideas, strategies, and proposals. And many times, we believe our value lies in demonstrating that we know more, we think better, and we always have the answer.
However, true confidence isn't born from impressing. It's born from pausing, listening, and, evidently, understanding. From being interested in the context, in the internal tensions, in the fears that aren't always stated in a brief.
Showing interest in the client-agency relationship shouldn't just be the initial step. We should make it a daily practice, making it central to every interaction with our clients: first understand, then propose.
When we lead inward…
And perhaps the place where this phrase becomes most urgent is within our organizations. In leadership, we tend to focus on building attractive companies: benefits, structures, culture, programs.
But the uncomfortable question is another:
How many times do we simply sit down to listen to what our team needs? Not what we think should motivate them, not what works in theory, but what truly moves them, concerns them, inspires them. Because in the end, companies aren't built only on strategies. They are built on attention.
The True Competitive Advantage
In a world where everyone wants to be interesting, perhaps the real advantage lies in something rarer: the ability to be truly interested.
In the others.
In their stories.
In their pain.
As you wish.
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