Leading with Questions

Based upon interviews with scores of leaders who lead with questions, this book presents the power of asking the questions that lead to real solutions and answers in today's complicated world of business. Leading with Questions provides a comprehensive foundation for effectively employing questions when leading others. It offers a variety of principles and strategies for asking questions and stories illustrating how leaders from every type of organization have used questions to attain organizational success and personal fulfillment. When, how, why, and where to lead with questions are described and exemplified. Companies cited include DuPont, Cargill, Boeing, Caterpillar, American Red Cross, Yurkan-Kimberly (Korea), Goodwill, Sodexho (France), Conoco-Philips, Constellation Energy, Novartis (Switzerland), Alcoa, Fairfax Public Schools, Pfizer, the US Army, Nokia (Finland) , IBS (Malaysia), DCDM Finance (Mauritius), Carvela, and Wal-mart Main themes: -Leading with questions leads to significant organizational, group and individual success. -Questions are much more powerful for a leader when they are asked within specific mindsets, context, words and purposes. Key conclusions: -Successful leaders lead with questions, and use questions more frequently. -Relative few leaders lead with questions, tending rather to dictate or debate rather than inquire and dialogue.Dire consequences occur when leaders do not ask questions (e.g., New York Times, Titanic, Challenger, Cuban Missile Crisis, Enron, Andersen). -Most leaders are unaware of amazing power of questions, and how it can generate short-term results and long-term learning and success. -A number of common traits and words are shared among those who lead with questions. -Questions impact the person asking the question as well as the leader. -The ability to lead with questions can be developed in a variety of ways, but most effectively via action learning.