Today’s business leaders can improve their leadership skills by returning to some of the fundamental lessons, like asking good questions.
Key Details
- Leaders are often thought of as the ones with all the answers, but while a good leader knows how to direct a company, he also knows how to ask powerful questions that will produce results.
- However, John Hagel III writes in the Harvard Business Review that always having an answer ready can corrode team members’ trust in their leaders.
- One of the best ways to inspire confidence and show strong leadership is by admitting when the answer is still unknown and by being willing to ask.
- By asking others for help finding the question, leaders show just the right amount of vulnerability that encourages more trust and greater connection from their team.
Why it’s important
A leader who is willing to admit he does not know the answer and enlist help from his subordinates will be able to foster deeper and strong connections with his team. However, there are right and wrong questions to ask.
Pointed and direct questions spotlighting one employee or another are not likely to encourage any discussion or yield valuable results. Leaders should ask open-ended questions that inspire collaboration and discussion among team members. Hagel suggests asking questions like:
- “What is a game-changing opportunity that could create much more value than we have delivered in the past?
- What are emerging unmet needs of our customers that could provide the foundation for an entirely new business?
- How could we leverage the resources of third parties to address a broader range of the needs of our customers?”
Refocusing the discussion on upcoming opportunities rather than on existing issues at the company can also help a leader overcome worries about appearing weak or lacking knowledge, Hagel says. In addition to opening the leader up to the right kind of vulnerability, it also showcases ambition and a desire to grow the company.
Asking questions can also prevent a leader from doing too much of the talking. By posing questions to team members, leaders can bring others into the conversation and hear ideas or thoughts from different points of view that can lead to better outcomes.
These questions should not just be directed at management or upper-level employees. Inviting others outside the typical circle of advisors can allow others to suggest new ideas. Leaders can also consider asking consumers their opinions on topics within the company. Direct feedback from customers can be a valuable tool in planning the next steps.
Asking questions also can revamp company culture. Employees may be too anxious or fearful to step forward with suggestions for innovation, but by asking questions first, workers may be less fearful about showcasing their ideas.
Creating a company culture where asking questions is valued can solve problems before they happen and open a company to a wide range of resources. Employees who are too nervous to question a decision may not point out when an order made from the top will not work out well in reality. At the same time, lower-level employees who work with a product daily may have suggestions for improvement that upper management may never consider.
Allowing employees to ask questions creates an environment of constant learning and growth, Hagel says. Growth and improvement are necessary for any company, and any leader, who wants to build a company that will succeed.