"Listen twice as much as you talk"— Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary explains the power of silence in business

Modified Apr 20, 2025 03:40 GMT

Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary believes real success in business comes from listening more than talking. In an April 19 Instagram post, he stressed the importance of listening, advising his followers to allot two-thirds of their time to listening and one-third to talking.

Kevin explained that by listening, entrepreneurs can strengthen their leadership, decision-making, and management, by establishing a deeper understanding of the people around them.

In the caption, he reinforced this point, urging people to “listen twice as much as they talk”— a strategy he believed could sharpen negotiation skills and empower them to “lead like a titan.”

"Most people yap too much. You want to win in business? Zip it. Listen twice as much as you talk. That’s how you negotiate like a pro and lead like a titan," he wrote in the caption.

Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary urges people to prioritize listening over talking

In his April 19 post, Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary highlighted a common communication flaw: most people talk far too much and rarely take the time to truly listen.

Kevin explained that many individuals are more interested in hearing themselves speak, often convinced that their own ideas are the best. According to him, this tendency to be "bombastic" stems from a misguided belief that dominating conversations equates to success.

In contrast, the Shark Tank star believes true success lies in the ability to listen two-thirds of the time and speak only one-third. He champions the idea that listening more than talking makes a person not only well-informed but also a more effective and powerful leader.

"Real success is the ability, instead of talking 2/3 of the day and listening 1/3, reverse that completely. Listen, more than you talk, and you will become an incredibly informed and powerful manager," he said.

Kevin further emphasized the importance of listening by highlighting its usefulness during negotiations. He believes that when an individual is attentively listening to their negotiators, the negotiators tend to give more information than they would have given.

The Shark Tank star added that when he goes into a room for negotiations, after exchanging greetings with the negotiators, he shuts his mouth and waits for them to take the lead for the information exchange.

"So when I go into a room. And I have to exchange pleasantries with somebody I don't know that I'm going to be doing business with, I just shut up. I don't say anything. And I wait for them to take the lead," he sahred.

At the end of his post, Kevin emphasized that people will eventually come to realize just how powerful the skill of listening truly is, as it provides insights and information they might never have gained otherwise.

With this information, the Shark Tank star believed that entrepreneurs would be able to manage their businesses and the issues around them, and be better leaders for the people working for them.

"From that information, you will become better at managing your business. Managing your situation. Being a better leader, you're also gonna be listening to people that work with you and for you. The ratio is listen 2/3, talk 1/3— it's that easy," he concluded.

Shark Tank season 16 episodes air every Friday on ABC. This season features seven sharks— Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Daniel Lubetzky, and Kevin O'Leary.

In each episode, these panel members evaluate contestant pitches and offer investments if they see profit in the presented idea or the product.

About the author

Mohsin Nakade is a Reality TV writer at Sportskeeda. Although he graduated with a B-Tech IT degree, it was Mohsin’s passion for movies and TV shows that led him to become a pop culture writer. He has previously worked at Otakukart and was a movie script analyst at First Draft Film Works. He has also led a team of eight content writers in the entertainment category, as it is his favorite industry.

Mohsin's love for reality TV writing is rooted in the high-octane drama of the shows. Additionally, because he enjoys writing, reality shows provide him with the best content to work with. Mohsin maintains credibility by conducting extensive research and fact-checking. Additionally, he makes sure his writing is transparent by refraining from giving misleading information.

Apart from watching TV series, reality shows, and writing about them, Mohsin also loves making story-based short videos and has a deep love for cinema, much like his idol, Timothée Chalamet.

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