The Power of Questions

Are you an 'answer person' or are you a 'question person'? As a student and early on in your career as an Individual Contributor, you likely had to give answers and advice left and right.  Being the "go-to" person or the subject matter expert felt rewarding and was probably what made you stand out as a high-performer.  As a manager and leader, however, being an 'answer person' makes it harder for you to motivate, engage, and develop your direct reports. It also makes you less productive and effective overall.  Now, I get it. Becoming more of a 'question person' is easier said than done. It requires a shift in your mindset and in how you see your role as a leader.  It also goes beyond your interactions with direct reports.  When you're with more senior leaders or people you admire, do you ask questions with the intent to learn from them or do you listen more passively? Becoming a 'question person' is a shift that will help you in all kinds of situations and relationships and it's likely what will make you stand out as a leader in the future.  In this episode, you'll learn The 3 most common fears that drive people to stay in the answer and advice mode and how to overcome them What it means to lead with questions, not answers, and why making this shift matters more than you might think How to actually become a 'question person' Plus, my favorite questions to ask people I admire and want to learn from Because the level of questions that you ask determines the level of your learning and growth! -- QUESTIONS MENTIONED -- What question should we/I have asked but didn't ask? Who do you look up to or who do you admire and what qualities do you like about this person? What are you looking forward to in the next week/month/year? What's been unexpected about [...]? What book(s) changed your thinking about a particular topic in a significant way? What do you believe is underrated/underestimated/overrated/overestimated about [...] -- RESOURCES MENTIONED -- Free Guide to 1-on-1 Meetings (incl. a list of coaching questions) Episode #77: Curiosity: Your Doorway To Positive Relationships And Collaborative Leadership The Advice Trap, a book by Michael Bungay Stanier * Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links. That means that I am awarded a small commission for purchases made through them, at no added cost to you.