Ask, Don’t Tell to Nurture High-Performing Teams

Asking great questions is a powerful way to lead and to nurture high-performing teams. Learn which questions inspire teams to high performance.

One of the most underutilized tools in the Agile Leaders toolkit is the question. Asking great questions is a powerful way to lead and to nurture high-performing teams.

Done well, this style of leadership moves from directing, telling and commanding to one of curiosity, learning, and adaptation. And it is a style that anyone can learn to use effectively.

Great Leaders Ask Great Questions

Think about some of the best leaders you’ve ever worked for. Chances are they were adept at asking questions that encouraged people to think and explore new ideas. Good questions allow individuals to figure things out for themselves.

A simple question that I have heard leaders use effectively is, “what is the problem we are trying to solve here?” I’ve seen that question quickly get teams grounded and focused.

When something goes wrong, the first question a good leader will ask is how have I contributed to this problem? What could I have done to support the teams better? How could I have foreseen…