Great Leaders Ask Great Questions

You probably thought what makes great leaders so great is their amazing public speaking skills, decisiveness, the right look, and a perfectly tailored suit.  Well, I have to admit I do love to see a leader that resembles George Clooney in a tailored suit.  Although I may love looking at someone like George, looks don't make the leader.  

Great leaders are known for their ability to make tough decisions, especially when nobody else is willing to do it.  How do you think they are able to make those tough decisions?  They don't just go around making decisions all day without the information they need.  First, they ask great questions! They ask great questions of themselves as well as others.  


Watch them in meetings.  I mean the truly great leaders.  They are listening and watching.  They know what to look and listen for regarding impact to the business, the people, and the board of directors.  They know they have to trust  their people but they also have to ask tough questions to determine how to handle the issue at hand.  They are masters at asking the best questions.  

We could all learn from asking more questions instead of talking so much.  I walked into a hotel recently after the end of a long day of meetings and the desk clerk enthusiastically said, "Welcome back!"  Then she looked at me very seriously and asked "Did you get everything accomplished that you wanted to get accomplished today?"  I was baffled by the question because I am virtually never asked this question.  It was a perfect example of a great question.  Let me quickly define a great question.


What Great Questions Do

• Make us think (How do you think we compare to "competitor"?  Did you get everything accomplished you wanted to today?)
• Cause us to learn without even thinking.  We are much more capable of learning when asked relevant questions so we can formulate our own conclusions than being told what to think or worse yet, what you think (What would do you think could have been better about that presentation?  What could you  have done differently?  How do you think Joe might respond to that approach?)
• Inspire a change (How could we meet this challenge?  What could we have done differently?  What will we do to meet this deadline?)

How have you noticed questions impacting others?  What questions do you find useful?  I'd love to hear your ideas.  

Mari