Leading with Questions

Bob Tiede has observed, “Leadership is not as much about knowing the right answers but asking the right questions.” In situations where the leader of an organization is chosen for his or her knowledge, knowledge can quickly become obsolete. Rapid change and the proliferation of information require the ability to learn and grow. One way to learn and grow is to ask good questions and obtain new knowledge.

This begins with asking good questions of other members of your team. Not only does this provide needed information but communicates the leader’s confidence in team members to be (or become) the people with the answers. They are on the front lines, so they should be engaged in assessing needs, discovering resources, and providing answers.

Asking good questions of those you serve is also important. The coach of one of my grandchildren’s basketball team pulled the kids aside at the end of a practice and said, “I am not a mind reader. If you don’t understand something I am doing or am asking you to do, let me know.” Too often we think we know what people want, need, or are willing to do. When we talk to others and ask good questions, we can learn how to be more effective.

Of course, the leader who uses this approach is making himself or herself vulnerable by admitting their limited knowledge. In doing so, the leader is just facing reality. A Japanese proverb states, “None of us are as smart as all of us.” A good leader uses every resource, or scrap of information, available. This is what makes a great leader.

This does not mean that the leader is abdicating the role of decision-maker. There is great value in consensus decision-making, but ultimately someone makes a choice of the path to follow. When others have had the opportunity be part of the decision, they are more likely to follow.

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