International organization honors MoWest professor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- David McMahan, chair and professor in the communications department at Missouri Western State University, received a leadership listening award from the Global Listening Center.  

GLC is a non-profit organization headquartered in Kolkata and London with a presence in over 140 countries.  

McMahan has led many initiatives, including training sessions with the Cayman Islands and the Global Listening Festival.  

He said he doesn’t do this kind of work for praise or awards — but being recognized still feels good.  

“Its a listening leadership award from the global listening center and I have been involved with them for a few years now. It promotes listening skills in the importance of listening,” McMahan said.  

For McMahan, this recognition is just one part of the many initiatives he’s taken on over the years.  

He said he believes listening is something people often overlook, even though it plays such a fundamental role in everyday life.  

“It is a cornerstone to our personal lives, our civic lives and effective listening can lead to increased understanding and strengthening relationships and so much more,” McMahan added.  

What first drew him to the organization was its mission. He recalls hearing from Sardool Singh, chief global strategist of the Global Listening Center, who shared that his mother’s death was linked to a lack of listening within the healthcare system.  

That experience led Singh to leave his job and dedicate his career to promoting effective listening.  

“I really like his story and I wanted to help and I have been part of this for about five years now,” McMahan said.  

Looking ahead, McMahan hopes to expand the organization’s international outreach, bringing its message to sectors like education, healthcare and government.  

He said he wants to reach more countries and industries — especially places where people may not yet recognize the power of listening.  

“Just because listening can transform lives. In almost every aspect of life, listening and can improve things; it doesn’t matter if it's education or healthcare or business, it is a cornerstone to making things better,” McMahan said.  

McMahan joined Mowest in 2021 after earning his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. He’s published more than ten books, including Internet Communication and Introduction to Communication Criticism.