The Art of Asking Questions

Great leaders promote a culture of curiosity – they lead with questions, not answers

Often leaders assume that people look to them for answers or bold assertions. However, smart leaders acknowledge they don’t have all the answers. They tap into collective wisdom. Great leaders encourage people to think by asking powerful questions instead of providing solutions.

Great leaders know that asking questions is not a sign of weakness but of curiosity. They model intellectual humility, reward critical thinking, and defy groupthink. Questions are the foundation of a “learn-it-all” culture that encourages co-creation, not competition.

Here are 9 powerful questions that every smart leader can ask. Hint: You don’t need a title to lead with questions.

1 – What am I missing?

What leaders fail to see gets them into trouble – that’s why they’re called blind spots. Almost all leaders believe they are self-aware, but only 10% truly are.

Acknowledging that you’re not seeing or understanding something about the team or project is a great way to increase your self-awareness.

2 – What did I learn today?

An effective leader knows that the growth and learning process never ends. Wrap up the day with a quick reflection on new things you learned about yourself, your team, and your organization. Identify lessons from both failures and successes.

3 – What am I doing to build into other leaders?

Julian Scadden, the CEO of Nexstar, believes that the role of a manager is not to manage or fix all the problems, but to lead their teams and grow them into leaders. This might seem obvious, but as he points out, most leaders have a secret addiction: They end up firefighting, day in and day out.

Scadden believes that the biggest challenge for leaders is to discover how to build their leadership – to get team members to care as much as they do.

4 – How am I contributing to the culture of the organization?

Tony Hsieh, the late Zappos CEO, often reflected on his role in shaping the company culture. He believed leaders’ primary responsibility is to take care of the greenhouse: They’re meant to create the right environment for people to thrive in.

5 – Who should I thank?

Effective leaders show genuine respect and appreciation for their teams’ contributions. Go beyond your direct reports and identify those who go the extra mile.

6 – What’s working? What’s not working?

Asking these two questions helped Jobs engage employees. The first question cuts to the chase , inviting people to openly discuss what needs to be fixed. It comes from a place of honesty and vulnerability: We are not perfect, so let’s address our issues.

The second question provides balance. If you only focus on issues, your team will feel demoralized. If you just discuss and celebrate the good stuff, the team loses perspective.

7 – What is everybody thinking and no one is saying? What are the past issues that we can’t let go of?

These two questions have proven to be highly effective in getting people to talk about the issues the team is avoiding. Of course, it requires setting the right environment, proper facilitation, and the right approach.

8 – If you were given full authority, what would be the one thing that you would change? Why?

There’s nothing like giving people total freedom to realize what they really need or want. I use this question when conducting stakeholder interviews for my clients. It never ceases to amaze me how removing the limitations (lack of authority) gets people excited about what the team should improve.

9 – What am I not hearing?

Author David Burkus believes there’s a reason why the warning “don’t shoot the messenger” became a cliché. Most leaders do want to ‘shoot’ the messenger. The above question acknowledges that the leader is missing many things and really wants messengers to speak up.

Source: leadingwithquestions.com