Leading with Questions: A Review

Powerful questions are essential in any effective coaching relationship. Now Bob Tiede and Michael J. Marquardt have joined forces in the book Leading with Questions to show how asking powerful questions can transform organizations and teams as well as individuals. The subtitle—how leaders discover powerful answers by knowing what and how to ask—provides the theme of the book.

As coaching has evolved from a one-to-one relationship to an organizational opportunity, the art of asking the right questions has opened a path to growth, employee empowerment, and sustainability for every setting. Marquardt has been an advocate of this approach for years; in this third edition, he joins forces with Bob Tiede to share both practical examples and a decade of research on this topic.

Part One of the book explains why questions can be powerful in helping both individuals and organizations become best expressions of themselves. Part Two offers practical guidance in asking questions effectively. Part Three provides guidelines for leaders to use questions to achieve specific results for individuals, teams, and organizations.

As one might expect, most chapters begin with a set of questions to set the stage for the following content. And the content is rich, practical, and insightful. I found especially helpful those chapters that address developing a “questioning culture” in an organization as a pathway for growth, achievement, and employee satisfaction.

This is one of those books that I will return to as a resource and guide in the future.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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