Great Leaders Start By Asking Questions

Questions are essential for great leadership. They encourage open dialogue and make employees feel valued and heard, leading to a more engaged and motivated workforce. Asking questions will create a culture of continuous learning and improvement.  And, questions can uncover root causes of issues and facilitate collaborative problem-solving, leading to more effective solutions.

Good leaders embrace questioning their employees.

Over the years, many executives I have worked with not only questioned their employees but questioned themselves. When was the last time you asked yourself a question to help develop yourself as a leader? What questions did you ask yourself that were most helpful?

Good leaders are ones who question others while great leaders question themselves.

In my experience there are eight areas leaders reflect on by asking questions of themselves. A leader can benefit from asking themselves a variety of reflective questions. Here are some important ones:

1. Vision and Goals: What is my vision for the team/organization? Are our goals clear and aligned with this vision? Is my vision inspiring to the team? How can I make it more compelling? How can I gather input from the team to refine our vision? What do they think is missing? Which goals should take priority, and why? Are we focusing on the right areas? Are our goals challenging enough to inspire growth without being overwhelming? How can I foster collaboration among team members to achieve our shared goals?
2. Communication: Am I effectively communicating with my team? How can I improve my communication style? Am I creating an environment where team members feel comfortable providing feedback? Am I overwhelming my team with too much information? How can I streamline my communication? Am I being transparent with my team about decisions, challenges, and changes? How can I improve in this area? Am I ensuring that all voices are heard and included in discussions? How can I encourage diverse perspectives? What steps am I taking to continuously improve my communication skills?
3. Team Development: How am I supporting my team’s growth and development? Are there opportunities for mentorship and skill-building? Am I encouraging individual team members to pursue their personal and professional development? How can I support them better? Do I know the career aspirations of each team member? How can I help them achieve their goals? Am I creating an environment that encourages learning from mistakes? How can I model a growth mindset for my team?
4. Feedback: Am I open to feedback? How do I encourage my team to share their thoughts and concerns? Am I fostering a psychologically safe environment where team members feel safe to share and receive feedback? How am I modeling effective feedback practices in my own behavior? Am I practicing what I preach? How am I encouraging my team to give each other feedback? Is my feedback constructive and aimed at promoting growth? Am I focusing on behaviors rather than personal traits?
5. Decision-Making: Are my decisions informed and well-considered? Am I involving the right people in the decision-making process? How can I encourage my team to share their thoughts and ideas regarding this decision? Who else should be involved in this decision? Am I including diverse perspectives and expertise? What are the potential long-term implications of this decision? Am I considering future consequences? Once I’ve made a decision, how will I communicate it clearly to my team? What have I learned from past decisions? How can I apply those lessons to future decision-making?
6. Inclusivity: Am I fostering an inclusive environment? How can I ensure diverse perspectives are valued? What does the current team culture look like in terms of inclusivity? Are all voices being heard? How diverse is my team in terms of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives? How can I create safe channels for team members to share their experiences and concerns related to inclusivity? Am I empowering all team members to contribute their ideas and perspectives? How can I encourage more participation? Am I empowering all team members to contribute their ideas and perspectives? How can I encourage more participation? Am I aware of my own biases? How can I work to address them in my leadership style?
7. Conflict Resolution: How do I handle conflicts within my team? Am I addressing issues constructively? How can I show empathy towards those involved in the conflict? Am I considering their feelings and experiences? How can I foster a collaborative atmosphere for resolving the conflict? Are there opportunities for compromise? Am I remaining neutral and objective in facilitating discussions? How can I avoid taking sides? What can I learn from this conflict? How can I use this experience to improve future conflict resolution?
8. Self-Reflection: What are my strengths and weaknesses as a leader? How can I leverage my strengths and improve on my weaknesses? Do my actions align with my core values and beliefs? How can I ensure this alignment? Am I setting aside regular time for self-reflection? How can I create a routine that supports this practice? What are my long-term aspirations as a leader? How am I working towards them? What practices do I have in place for self-care? How can I improve my self-care routine? Am I actively seeking feedback from my team? How do I respond to the feedback I receive?

The power of questions in leadership cannot be overstated. By engaging in self-reflection and actively seeking input from your teams, you can foster a culture of openness and continuous improvement. The questions outlined across various areas—vision, communication, team development, feedback, decision-making, inclusivity, conflict resolution, and self-reflection—serve as tools for you to enhance your effectiveness and adaptability.

Ultimately, great leaders recognize the journey of leadership is ongoing; it requires a commitment to learning, growth, and empathy. By regularly reflecting on these questions, leaders not only empower themselves but also inspire their teams, paving the way for a collaborative and thriving work environment.