High Growth leadership is not as much about knowing the right answers, as it is about knowing the right questions. We all know that asking questions is a powerful leadership tool, but most leaders fail to apply this insight with their team. Bob Tiede has studied and written about asking questions and offers really practical questions in his new book “Great Leaders Ask Questions”. In it he reveals 4 questions that can raise your leadership game.
Using the metaphor of you captaining a competitive rowing team, he asks the question, “how many of your team would you want to have row?” The answer of course would be all them. So how happy would you be if you ended up being the only one rowing? Probably not so much. Why then would you want to tackle the challenges, opportunities and problems needed in your company by telling your team what they should do? Why would you not want to get all their oars in the water by asking them, “What do you think?”
Simply asking your team, colleagues and even friends “What do you think about this challenge, opportunity, or issue?”, will make them feel more valued, respected, esteemed and appreciated.
Maybe you are like many business leaders I meet, who share that they would like to learn to “lead with questions,” but are not sure they have time to learn this new skill. I teach them in less than 20 seconds to memorise these 4 questions:
1. What do you think?
2. What else?
3. What else?
4. What else?
You will find that sometimes the greatest thoughts will come from the third time you ask, “What else?”. When others feel your appreciation for their responses, they begin to feel safe to share their very best thoughts. And you will be the beneficiary!
