Questions.

How many questions do you ask on an average day?

Probably a lot, especially if you have adopted a more coaching leadership style.

Questions are so important. They can start whole companies like the classic story of Polaroid shows:

             Edwin Land was on vacation in the 1940’s. As a proud father he did what most proud parents would do: he snapped a picture of his 3-year-old daughter with his standard camera. His little girl was eager to see the picture taken. And she wanted to see it now! She didn’t understand that the film had to be sent off for processing. She asked, “Why do we have to wait for the picture?”

            Great question!

            That’s what Land thought as well. And he started figuring out how to get that instant result. That one  “Why?” question of his 3-year old inspired Land to develop the Polaroid instant camera.

This story teaches us the power of questions. But it does more. It also shows that young children are experts at asking questions. Questions that, as an adult, you might never ask. Yes, young children at a certain age can drive parents crazy with all their questions. So, get inspired by the young kids, not by asking the same amount of questions, but by their curiosity and willingness to ask any question.

Don’t shy away of asking questions. Watch young children. Young children are natural at this skill. Learn from them.

The following three simple steps will make asking questions one of your strengths.

1 – Look around the office with a fresh eye and a curious mind.

Children can be so full of joy about the world. The same for young animals. Our one-year-old dog dropped her stick in a fast streaming creek. Surprise! It didn’t stay put like when you drop a stick on the ground. The water took it upstream. What a fun.

Have that same kind of attitude. Look at your office environment with that fresh, curious, and open mind.

2 – Tap into your courage and ask that fundamental, naïve question.

People always say, “There are no stupid questions.” What a truth. But people don’t always get a reply that supports that. However, words like “obvious” or “as explained earlier”  are sometimes added to the answer to your question that imply some stupidity at your site. Result is that we stop ourselves from asking questions from curiosity.

Let go of any worries around not looking good. Do the same with your eagerness as a leader to know the answers, and ask.

3 – Own the question. Be persistent. Don’t rest until you have the answer.

Great. You asked the question but the answer is unclear or you don’t get it. Oops. More questions to ask. A lot of us drop the ball right then. Don’t do so. Keep going. Own your question. Don’t rest until you have the answer that satisfies you. Leading is not running a political campaign. You don’t need to get votes.

Questions add a lot of value to your leadership. Be curious, be brave, and be persistent. Appreciate asking a question as much as you appreciate getting an answer.