Great Leaders Ask Powerful Questions

What’s the secret to solving unexpected challenges, seizing new opportunities, and building strong cultures?  Ask powerful questions!

Leaders who assume they have all the answers are either clueless or lying.  So writes John Hagel III, in the Harvard Business Review).  He describes how leaders who know how to ask great questions build a reservoir of trust and team performance.

Here are some effective research-based tips:

• Ask big questions:  Leaders who ask powerful questions have the greatest success in seizing new opportunities, addressing unexpected challenges, and building cultures that carry these benefits forward.  Ask broad, ambitious questions like, “What unmet need of our customers can we fill?” and “What is a game-changing opportunity we have?”  Refrain from nit-picky questions that put people on the spot.
• Involve Others: Ask questions that invite collaboration, and broadcast them throughout the organization.  You can even reach out beyond the organization (customers and other stakeholders) to connect with expertise and perspectives from more diverse sources.
• Boost Your Culture: Asking focused questions can have a calming and uniting effect during a crisis.  By asking questions as a leader, you also communicate that questioning is important and thereby inspire people to ask for help when they need it.  These behaviors lead to a culture of learning, which is critical for growth and success. 

Check out our Collaborative Problem Solving Model as a vehicle for bringing teams together to solve meaningful, creative questions central to the team’s work. 

What is the last big question you asked your team?  To join the conversation, click on  "comments" above -- we would love to hear about your experiences!  

Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022.

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