It seems like news from the no-duh files: People trust leaders who listen to them. According to a survey released last fall by the consulting firm Zenger Folkman, listening and trust are highly correlated in the workplace: Leaders considered “poor” listeners wallowed in the 15th percentile in trust, while those “excelling” at it rocketed to the 86th percentile.

That seems straightforward enough. But what, exactly, is listening?

Answering that is a little trickier. You might hear what somebody is saying, but not process it, or refuse to, or get defensive about it, or do nothing in response to it, or take it too personally, or not take it personally enough. As a pair of business scholars recently wrote at the Harvard Business Review, “listening is an intentional activity that requires empathy, patience, and the ability to respond to what you hear. And because it can be so mentally taxing … people often take shortcuts or disengage altogether.”

The article’s authors lay out multiple scenarios where leaders’ listening skills tend to fall short. Leaders can be too hasty, not giving themselves enough time to hear out their colleagues. Or they can get defensive, or appear indifferent. Or—one of the worst outcomes—they simply do nothing. Inaction from leaders in the face of discussions, especially criticism, tends to whittle away at trust.

As the authors put it: “Listening without subsequent action or explanation leads employees to believe their efforts—and yours—have been pointless. … Always close the loop. Before ending a conversation, affirm what you’ve heard, identify the next steps for action, and agree on a timeline for checking back in. That emphasizes forward momentum and ensures accountability.”

The Zenger Folkman report suggests something similar, recommending that leaders be a “trampoline”: A good leader is “someone you can bounce ideas off of. Rather than absorbing your ideas and energy, they amplify, energize, and clarify your thinking.”

All of which suggests to me that the key problem isn’t so much that leaders are struggling to be good listeners so much as being good communicators. The people you serve want an opportunity to be heard by you, yes. And all of the typical good-listening skills the articles mention are helpful for that. But to show that they’ve heard, leaders need to respond: Echo their concerns, dedicate time to talk further, share what future actions they’ll take—or not—in response to what they’ve heard. 

There are good reasons to respect recommendations that leaders listen more than they speak. But that’s not a reason to avoid speaking when you need to.

One important element to think about is that you can share this responsibility. As the HBR authors point out: “It’s OK to ask for help. While listening to employee problems and concerns is an essential part of a leader’s job, it can be shared.” That, too, requires communication: sharing what you need help with, and why. Trust is related to how you listen. But what you say in response matters too.