There is a reason we have two ears and only one mouth. Listening is an incredibly important skill to develop and it will get you farther in your personal life and career than speaking too quickly ever will. John Esparza is the President & CEO of the Texas Trucking Association, but before that he worked for Governor Bush’s office in the 90s as the Coalition Director.   During this time, he got to see much of the great state of Texas, but it also gave him valuable experience hosting events.  While hosting these events, he learned about the importance of listening to local individuals at the venues where he was coordinating these events.   This practice of active listening was instrumental in a lot of John’s success later in his career, and he now advocates within the field of public policy.  His job is to ensure that the voice of the trucking industry is part of the vernacular that creates the laws and rules that govern Texas. He must listen to the people he represents to ensure that they have a seat at the legislative table and are engaged in the political process. In this episode of Lead to Grow, I spoke with John about the importance of listening, hearing out different opinions, and being an agent of change in the state of Texas.