Leadership Is About People—Not Just Processes
I’ve always said that the tricky part about leadership is the people part. No two people are alike and no one blueprint is going to work for leading every person, or through any situation.
And our job as leaders is… to move people to do their absolute best. How can you do that if you don’t know what moves someone?
You ask questions.
Questions that start with curiosity.
Curiosity Is the Most Underrated Leadership Skill
We are born with this skill. As children, we are curious about everything and anything and we ask earnest questions, without agendas and ulterior motives.
But at some point, we train ourselves out of this curiosity and earnestness.
- We start assuming that we know better
- We have less time for curiosity and we jump to problem solving
- We believe that our perspective is the most reasonable one.
We find shortcuts. Shortcuts that shortchange us from being really impactful humans and leaders.
Three Powerful Questioning Tools for Leaders
Staying open and curious is our challenge, as adults and as leaders. These question-tools will make it easier:
- Wide open questions – do you sometimes lead the witness towards the answer you anticipate? Try instead to meet them with open-ended questions that leave room for unexpected insights.
- Reflecting back – two people can hear the same words and get completely different meanings from them. Reflect back to the other person what you understood, seeking confirmation and common ground. (I know this can sometimes feel like you’re parroting therapy-speak, but try to incorporate it into your conversation style, using your own words – the clarity you both get will make it well worthwhile).
- Clarifying questions – powerful questions can unleash powerful answers. Drill down and seek clarification, not only to progress your understanding, but the other person’s too. A good question can help access a fresh perspective and it all starts with simply getting genuinely curious.
Keep Practising Curiosity in Your Leadership Style
If you haven’t been using these types of questions with your team, it may take a little while for you to feel comfortable, and for them to delve into details and trust that you are genuinely interested in their answers. Practice makes progress.
All good things,
Juliet Robinson
Leadership and Change Specialist
How I can help you?
We teach all the skills that will keep you adaptable and effective as a leader in every situation, with every team member – yes, even the really tricky ones – inside the Leadership Essentials Programme.
