Empathy. In competitive, driven American professional culture (for one), the word might not inspire the same level of respect as, say, ambition, or success. But the skill of empathetic listening, closely related to the concept of emotional intelligence, is the essential basis for all effective communication. If you can’t sense what another person is feeling or thinking, how can you connect with them? If you can’t connect, why should they care about what you have to say?