Judge a Man by His Questions, Not His Answers

“Judge a man by his questions, not his answers”

Voltaire continues to be an inspiration, across the centuries, as I was reminded recently by a colleague.

Sometimes leaders feel a pressure to always have to know the answer. They may fear a loss of face if they are unable to respond with complete authority to a question posed by a colleague, investor or customer. Even whilst recognizing that it is impossible for everyone to have all the answers, a leader may cave into the pressure to display their omniscience.

Posing questions might offer a more effective approach.

The quality of the questions is critical.

“What do you believe are the factors preventing completion of the project?” rather than, “Why haven’t you delivered this project yet?’’

‘’Is there scope to address this issue?” as opposed to, ‘’What are you going to do about it?”

A leader’s ability to question respectfully, curiously and without judgement, to drill down to the crux of the matter, solicit possible options, and support their colleagues in formulating a relevant response, is a powerful skill. This approach enables deeper understanding all-round, is empowering to all involved and supports enhanced decision-making.

This approach is a coaching approach. It is a proven approach for enabling leaders to affect positive change within their teams.

How about giving it a go?