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As soon as I arrived at a new leadership role, the reins were ceremoniously placed into my hands and I was left to keep the horse on the path. My first instinct was to make the horse go faster!
Unfortunately, I learned that sometimes you can make great time moving in the wrong direction! I had to learn to ask, “Is this the right direction?” and “Should we even be doing this?”
At times I became so busy juggling my multitudinous responsibilities that I rushed from meeting to meeting. I checked the box and got the job done. But what I desperately needed to ask was, “How could this be better?” I learned that even the best programs and efforts could be improved. To avoid rolling out the same program year after year, I had to keep asking this important question.
One day when I was a seminary president, I returned to the office after lunch and found three staff people waiting to speak with me. Our financial director asked how I wanted to address a certain issue. I hastily began to give her my initial response. But then it struck me. Rather than telling this MBA-trained accountant what to do, why not ask her what she would do? She seemed surprised that I asked. Her response was revealing! She gave me an insightful, thoughtful response. I realized that I had been ignorant of her great ideas because I always gave her answers rather than questions. I changed that habit.
As I sat through tedious staff meetings, I learned to ask, “Why are we having this discussion? Is it fruitful?” Too often, we fail to ask those questions (and many people despise attending meetings for that reason!).
When I was swamped, as I often was, I desperately needed to ask certain questions, such as, “Why am I still doing this activity when I could delegate it?” When I was serving on a committee or board for yet another year, I needed to ask, “Should I still be doing this? Have I lost my passion for this?”
When people voiced criticism or disapproval, I sometimes needed to ask, “Have I made inaccurate assumptions?” or “I think this effort is great, but how do others on my team perceive it?” And here’s a great one, “Should I be concerned about that person’s opinion? Should his or her disapproval keep me up at night?”
Other important questions include, “Are the results we are getting worth the effort and expense?” “Are we investing our resources wisely?” “Are we focusing on what we do best?” Why are we having this discussion?” “How can I better encourage my team?”
My father often said, “If you ask the wrong question, you’ll get the wrong answer.” I have learned that if I want great results, I must ask great questions. None of us knows everything. We all have blind spots. If we rely only on what we know and perceive, we’ll inevitably make mistakes. We need to hone our skill at asking questions.
Mentors have been in vogue for years. Young adults often desire an older, seasoned veteran share the wisdom they have gained through their years of experience. Typically, mentors tell their war stories and talk about lessons they learned, and the learner soaks in the wisdom. But I see a changing trend these days. Rather than a mentor model, people are increasingly turning to leadership coaches.
Coaches don’t do all the talking. In fact, good coaches speak only around 30 percent of the time. They recognize that their experience is not identical to the experience of the person they are coaching. So rather than giving the young person all the answers, they ask lots of perceptive questions.
F.E. Smith once quipped that Winston Churchill had spent the better part of his life preparing impromptu speeches. I’m afraid I, too, focused too much on what I would say and thought too little about what I would ask. I’m working to address that imbalance.
If you would like to take a fresh look at your life and work, would like to invigorate your current leadership, or want to increase productivity and creativity in your workplace, perhaps the answer is not an impassioned speech. You might find the answer by asking the right questions. What do you have to lose?
Photo source: istock
 | Richard Blackaby is the president of Blackaby Ministries International and lives in Georgia. He travels internationally speaking on spiritual leadership in the home, church, and marketplace as well as on spiritual awakening, experiencing God, and the Christian life. Richard regularly ministers to Christian CEOs and business leaders. He has written or co-authored 33 books . This article was first published on RichardBlackaby.com. Used with permission from Blackaby Ministries International. Learn More » |
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