Leading with questions

Bob Tiede Feb. 29, 2020

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This was and still is a great question!

“Where are you?”

Adam and Eve were hiding in the garden, when God asked his first recorded question, “Where are you?” 

Why did God ask?

Are you guessing that God already knew where Adam and Eve were?

So if God already knew where Adam and Eve were, why did God ask, “Where are you?”

Why didn’t God just tell Adam and Eve where they were?

Might it have been for their benefit? Might God have thought it was important for Adam and Eve to answer? Might God have been leading with questions?

Sometimes when you are asked ,“Where are you?” the one asking wants to know where you at physically? 

For example, when a dad calls his son or daughter after curfew and asks, “Where are you?”  He is not only wanting to know literally “Where are you?”  but without saying so he is wanting to know, Why aren’t you home?

More often when you are asked “Where are you?” the one asking is not asking where you are physically, but:

Where are you:

• In your life?
• In your career?
• In your education?
• In your growth as a leader?
• In overcoming the challenge you are confronting?
• Relationally?
• On your project?
• On reaching your goal(s)?
• Emotionally?
• Physically?
• Spiritually?
• Financially?
• On your time schedule?
• Overcoming your disappointment?
• In your transition?
• In recruiting your team?
• In developing your team?
• In raising the money?

Two more related questions that will provide even more context for “Where are you?”  are:

• Where (and when) did you start?
• Where (and when) would you like to finish?

Knowing where you started, where you are now and where you want to finish gives you an instant view of your progress.

Where is your team? 

Do you know how your team might answer this question? Sometimes an objective viewer has a better idea where our team is than we do. 

Even if you do know with 100 percent certainty where each of your staff are, might you want to remember that God knew with 100 percent certainty knew where Adam and Eve were, but instead of telling them He chose to ask “Where are you?”

What might the benefits be to your staff for you to ask “Where are you?” in relationship to any of the topics above that are pertinent?

And what might be the benefits to you as their leader to ask “Where are you?”

Of course since you and I are not God there will be many times that we actually have no clue to where one of our staff might be. The best way to find out is by asking them.

Photo source: istock 

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Bob Tiede helps leaders everywhere move from telling to asking. He has been on the staff of Cru for 48 years and on the U.S. Leadership Development Team for 16 years. His blog, LeadingWithQuestions.com is followed by leaders in over 190 countries. Bob has written three eBooks available for free download, Great Leaders ASK Questions, 339 Questions Jesus Asked and Now That's a Great Question. Learn More »

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