The Leader Who Questions, Advances

The minute you question something with a mind open to receiving an unknown answer, you are upsetting the status quo.

That's a good thing. That's a leadership thing!

It will likely sound counterintuitive, but the truth is that in these imbalanced times , we find the greatest opportunity to change for the better. We do that through questioning.

Questioning is a powerful method of reminding oneself that the answers are not in the known experience, but in something other.  Remember these three guidelines:

If past efforts and approaches had worked out, you wouldn't need to be questioning

If you are approaching the same problems in the same ways over and over again, you're not getting the message. So get the message that you need to look elsewhere, or with different eyes, if you are going to get to the perspective you need to get the answers that will work.

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Don't question "the usual suspects"

Dare to be a leader! Ask the people you don't usually ask. Don't stick with your Lieutenants, but sit down with the Privates! They are the ones closest to the issue at hand, so speaking with them is exactly where you need to begin!

Let go of the need to be the one who knows

The ego is a tricky little bugger, and it keeps us from answers more often than not. So be the kind of leader that is humble enough to step back from personal success, and put forward the success of the group, no matter how the answers emerge.

​The leader is not the one seeking to shine. The leader is the one who serves a greater vision and a greater goal, guiding everyone around her to do the same, in creative tandem.

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