Smart Ask?: Questions that lead your team to win

Leaders who lead with questions are often 3 to 10 times more effective than leaders who lead by telling. You might be wondering how that is possible. Let me ask you a silly question: "If you were in a rowboat with your whole team and there were oars for everyone, and your goal was to get to the other side of the lake as quickly as possible, how many of them would you like to have row with you?" Of course, all of them! I told you this was a silly question. But now, imagine your team is gathered around your conference table, and you are trying to figure out the fastest way across the lake - i.e., the fastest way to take advantage of an opportunity that has presented itself. Why would you want to be the only one with your oar in the water? i.e., engaging only your brainpower? Why would you not want to get all of their oars in the water - i.e., engaging all of their brains by asking them, "What do you think we might do to quickly take advantage of this opportunity?" Might it be possible that one of their ideas would be better than any of the ideas you had been thinking about? Have I piqued your interest? I hope so. As you read this book, I will unpack the process for effectively leading with questions.