If you're a leader, you should be leading with questions, posits author Bob Tiede. By the time we got done with our conversation, he'd convinced me of just how important - and just how simple - it is.

Here are a few of the show notes from our conversation.

1. Leading with questions is crucial for motivating employees. It's important to ask the right questions in the right way.


2. Questions should be purposeful and respectful. They should aim to gather information, understand the status of a project, develop or coach employees, moderate meetings, resolve conflicts, build trust, give feedback, or help employees reflect on their activities.


3. However, questions can also be used to apply pressure, demonstrate power, and spread fear. Managers should be aware of how they might unintentionally put pressure on their employees with their questioning techniques.


4. Open-ended questions, which cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no", are recommended. They provide more information and give insight into the motives, needs, opinions, and fears of the person being questioned.


5. The question "why" is open but should be used with care as it can put people on the defensive. Instead of asking "why", it's better to ask "what was your intention?" or "what can we learn from this?" or "how can we do it better in the future?"


6. The Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz said, "You can tell whether a person is smart from their answers and you can tell whether a person is wise from their questions."

This conversation emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions in leadership and how it can significantly impact employee motivation and project outcomes.

Learn more from Bob Tiede at https://leadingwithquestions.com 

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