Celebrating the Third Anniversary of LeadingWithQuestions.com

Would you like to know the back story of LeadingWithQuestions.Com?

My personal mission:  “Help Develop the Next Generation of Leaders for Cru.”

My target audience when developing the next generation of leaders for Cru is current staff members ages 20 to 30-something.  While almost all of them speak English, most of them also speak “Social Media.”  If you were moving to a foreign country where the major language spoken was something other than English you might consider it wise or even necessary to learn that language.  My decision to learn to speak “Social Media” (Blogging – Twitter – LinkedIn – Facebook – Google +) allows me to better connect with my target audience.   As I delved deeper into this process, I realized that through my blog, I could not only help leaders in my target audience, but I could serve leaders around the globe!

So what should I blog about?

I quickly decided that I did not want to do just another Leadership Blog. There are scores of excellent Leadership Blogs.  So I asked this question, “Was there a specific leadership niche I might want to choose?”  With that question, I instantly had the answer.  I had discovered Dr. Michael Marquardt’s book “Leading with Questions” in 2006.  His book forever changed my leadership focus from Telling to Asking!  I began to do presentations and seminars from his book which immediately created change in the leaders with whom I was connecting.  A quick Google search found no other blogs focused on this niche.  Another quick search of available website names discovered that LeadingWithQuestions.Com was available – so I grabbed it.

 I soon faced a huge challenge! 

My first post was on March 15, 2012.  Posting twice a week, I was out of content in eight weeks!  In 16 posts, I had already shared everything I knew about “Leading with Questions.”   What was I going to do?  Pull the plug?  While mulling this over a wild idea struck me.  Why not ask other bloggers who had written posts related to my theme of “Leading with Questions” for their permission to repost their post as a “Guest Post” on my blog –  of course with full attribution  to them.  So I quickly sent off four emails to bloggers who had        already posted terrific “Leading with Questions” type posts on their blog – wondering if they would     respond.  I didn’t have to wait long.  Within 24 hours I had heard back from all four – each of them granting    me permission.  What I did not know then, that I know now is that all bloggers write to be read!  And when someone offers a blogger an opportunity for what they have written to be read by another audience, it is almost always an irresistible offer.  To date 166 different “Guest Post Authors” have shared their wisdom on LeadingWithQuestions.Com.

Soon thereafter, I emailed Dr. Michael Marquardt thanking him for writing “Leading with Questions,” sharing how his book had changed my leadership, telling him about my blog and asking his permission to excerpt from his book.   To my delight, he almost instantly responded expressing his gratitude and giving me “carte blanche” permission to excerpt from his book.  My e-mail to Dr. Marquardt was quickly followed with e-mails to other authors whose books also related to my theme of “Leading with Questions.”  Like bloggers, almost all immediately responded, graciously granting their permission as well! To date, excerpts from 23 different books have been shared on LeadingWithQuestions.Com.

Curator of “Leading with Questions” Content

Today I am only occasionally an originator of “Leading with Questions” content.  LeadingWithQuestions.com has really become a “curator” of “Leading with Questions” content.

You and I are both are the beneficiaries!  Twice a week, you are hearing from some of the greatest leaders on the globe – sharing their very best thinking on how you can sharpen your “Leading with Questions” skills.

TOP 5 ALL TIME “Leading with Questions” POSTS:

1. What do you need to: Start – Stop – Continue?

2. My Gift for You: A Free E-Book

3. Seven Meaningful Questions to Gauge Employee Happiness

4. Ten Questions to Ask Your Dad on Father’s Day

5. Fifty Great Coaching Questions

Serving you with the goal of “Increasing your Leadership Effectiveness X 10” continues to be my focus! 

Bob Tiede’s blog, leadingwithquestions.com, consistently helps me to ask better questions – not just to my audiences and to my staff, but also to my family and friends!

Josh McDowell

Bestselling author of “More Than A Carpenter” & “New Evidence That Demands A Verdict”

I look forward to reading Bob Tiede’s leadingwithquestions.com twice each week as every blog is filled with wonderful insights, stories and examples of powerful questions. It is undoubtedly the single best source for discovering great questions used by leaders from the corporate, academic, public and social arenas.

Dr. Michael Marquardt

Author of “Leading With Questions” and President of World Institute for Action Learning

As a business owner, speaker and author, I encourage my clients and audiences to take their businesses to a higher level of excellence. With his blog, LeadingWithQuestions, Bob Tiede provides us with practical tools and inspirational insights for achieving this.

Dr. K. Shelette Stewart

Author of Revelations in Business; Associate Director of Business Dev. SMU Cox School of Business

LeadingWithQuestions.com consistently challenges me to bring my conversations back to what they are (or should be) all about: inquiry. Each post offers practical, in-the-trenches advice that I can put into immediate action.

Julie Winkle Giulioni

Author of Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go”

Bob Tiede is a master learner who loves to engage leaders on the questions that matter most. I am always challenged by his life. Perspective and of course– his questions!

Mark Gauthier

U.S. National Campus Director, Cru

In over three decades in executive search, I can tell you that one of the differences between successful and unsuccessful people are good questions. Bob Tiede takes this principle and greatly expounds on it with LeadingWithQuestions.com. I encourage everyone to absorb the wisdom here, as I do often.

Bob Beaudine

CEO, Eastman & Beaudine; Best-Selling Author, “The Power of WHO!”

What I love about Bob Tiede and leadingwithquestions.com is that it comes with energy, relevance and preparation. I feel Bob’s humble spirit and I see his great smile when he writes for all of us. Love “Leading With Questions” and look forward to every edition.

Eric Hood

Willow Creek Association and Global Leadership Summit Team

Bob Tiede is the real deal. He is one of the most generous and consistent initiators I know. Bob’s blog, Leading with Questions, will stimulate fresh thinking whether you lead globally or locally.

Ken Cochrum

VP, Global Digital Strategies, Cru; Author of “Close: Leading Well Across Distance and Culture”

Bob Tiede challenges us in our coaching to use questions when our natural inclination is to come to the party with our answers. Starting with questions takes longer, but the result is far superior since the learner comes up with their own answers which makes them life-time learners rather than quick fix projects.

Brent Garrison

Vice President of Education, CEO Forum

I look forward to being inspired and challenged by Bob’s blog each week. It has been so beneficial to us, it led to a great sermon series at our church, “Questions Jesus Asked.”

Lamarr Lark, Sr.

Founding Partner, WPM Partners, LLC.

Bob Tiede takes the pressure off leaders by encouraging us to focus on asking good questions rather than knowing all the correct answers. LeadingWithQuestions is a great resource for leaders to get a regular dose of perspective and encouragement. Subscribe and make it part of your regular growth and development.

Jenni Catron

Church Leader and author of “CLOUT: Discover and Unleash Your God-Given Influence”

Questions have always been keys I’ve sought to use to unlock where people are. My friend Bob Tiede does a masterful job of equipping us as leaders know how to use these verbal keys to understand our people and teams and lead them more effectively.

Dr. Dennis Rainey

Host, Family Life Today

Bob Tiede is always thinking about how to grow your leadership capability. His blog, LeadingWithQuestions, will give you the benefit of his experience and enthusiasm for developing leaders. You won’t want to miss it!

Cheryl Bachelder

CEO, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

Bob Tiede has relentless focus on the power of questioning in business and in life. His highly readable and persuasive blog is filled with exclusive interviews and guest posts by leaders and authors sharing their insightful stories and lessons of how asking questions brings better results and more success in managing others and in their own careers.

Warren Berger

Author of “A More Beautiful Question”

Countless resources on improving effective leadership can be found, but none so relevant and compelling as LeadingWithQuestions. If you want to engage your audience and lead them toward the answers for themselves, visit this blog for carefully selected resources and a variety of thought-provoking commentaries.

DongWhan Kim

Executive National Director, KCCC USA

My role as a leader mandates the prolific, internal dialogue with questions for self-direction, life-management, and people-leadership. Bob Tiede excels in both the content and timing of questions. Each time I am with him, whether in person or by his blog, I come away deeply refreshed.

Dr. Ramesh Richard

President of RReach & Professor at Dallas Theological Seminary

“How can I help?” “What’s the next challenge you’d like to undertake?” “What’s your learning style?” When powerful people ask us questions like those, they become coaches rather than fixers, and we all succeed. Bob Tiede’s LeadingWithQuestions blog helps great leaders find just the right words to empower others.

Jill Geisler

Author of “Work Happy: What Great Bosses Know”

If you want to grow your ability to ask engaging questions of those you lead, Bob Tiede’s LeadingWithQuestions is the place to go. He gathers the best of the best to give his readers quality posts every week.

Andrea Buczynski

VP, Global Leadership Development/HR, Cru

I cannot tell you how many times I print out Bob Tiede’s blog to keep handy an insight he has provided. In fact, I just sent this week’s post to all my leaders. LeadingWithQuestions.com is one of the most practical leadership blogs to which I subscribe– and certainly the most read!

Craig Domeck

Dean and Assistant Professor of Leadership, MacArthur School of Leadership, Palm Beach Atlantic University

Bob Tiede shows us a very positive and powerful way to lead. I have known him for many years and can attest that he leads with questions very well.

Steve Douglass

President, Cru

Would you like to grow as a leader? Would you like to learn how to ask profound questions? Why not sign up for Bob Tiede’s FREE blog, LeadingWithQuestions.com today?

Bobb Biehl

Executive Mentor

Bob has uncovered for me the powerful potential of asking questions. Every blog is a reminder for me to stop, pause and move away from my default of assuming and telling to wondering and questioning. I have experienced tangible benefits in family and team relationships because of his work.

Mark Householder

President, Athletes in Action

When you read Bob Tiede’s blog, one of two things will happen: You will grab a new gold nugget that you will want to use right away, or you will be reminded of something in your toolbox to polish up and use again. Either way, someone under your leadership will benefit.

Pam Smith

VP for Student Advancement, Biblical Seminary

Bob Tiede is a great leader as well as a highly effective coach, who is committed to increasing the leadership understanding and effectiveness of others. His unique contributions on leading with questions is an incredible resource for those who want to lead through the empowerment of others.

Delanyo Adadevoh

PhD President-International Leadership Foundation

Whether you are trying to figure out how to begin your leadership journey or whether you need to take your current skills to lead, influence and inspire others to the next level, LeadingWithQuestions.com is among the very best resources you’ll find. This blog is indispensable to me in my role equipping leaders in a multinational company.

Terrence Donahue

Corporate Director of Learning, Emerson Electric, Inc.

I’m a big believer in the fine art of asking great questions… but only if the asker is willing to be curious about the answer! Bob’s blog has some great ideas for anyone who wants to improve in this important capacity!

Bev Kaye

Founder, Career Systems International

Bob is a mentor, encourager and an outstanding resource. I’m a regular reader of LeadingWithQuestions.com. In fact, it is one of the websites I make sure to visit anytime I am preparing to give a talk on leadership!

Scott Sonju

President, Frisco RoughRiders

Leadership is often about focus! Bob Tiede’s blog, LeadingWithQuestions.com, provides insights and questions that fuel the focus I need to maintain my leadership and coaching cutting edge.

Marc Rutter

US National Director, Leadership Development and HR, Cru

We can all agree that leading with questions is more inspiring and productive, but why do we slip and drop back to directives rather than questions? LeadingWithQuestions.com is a great refresher and tutoring resource we can use to remember the power of questions.

James C. Wetherbe

PhD Stevenson Chaired Professor of MIS, Director Institute for Internet Buyer Behavior Rawls College of Business, Texas Tech University