It’s the 8 Year Anniversary of LeadingWithQuestions.com!
In celebration you’ll be receiving five special blog posts this week – each with a theme of “8” – reflecting on the past 8 years. Below is the calendar of this week’s posts. Be sure to come back each day to enjoy these anniversary posts.
A Special Gift for You:
Committed always to helping you grow your leadership effectiveness, today we celebrate the 8 Year Anniversary with a Special Gift for You: Our just recorded MP3 Audio Book version of “Now That’s a Great Question!”
Please Click “HERE!” to request your free MP3 Audio Book.
Click “HERE” to instantly listen to Chapter One – “Confession: I Was a Benevolent Dictator.”
1. What do you think?
If you want to learn to lead with questions, you simply need to begin asking others: your staff, your clients/customers/prospects, family, etc “What do you think?”
2. Can you please tell me more?
You can use this question whenever someone asks you a question to make sure you clearly understand what they are asking – or – whenever someone answers a question you have asked.
3. Can you please tell me your story?
This is my favorite question to ask whenever I connect with someone for the first time. Everyone has a story to tell! And every story is interesting! And the truth is that people love to tell you their story!
4. What are the 3-4 events that have most shaped who you are today?
This question comes from my friend Cheryl Bachelder – former CEO of Popeyes – in her book “Dare to Serve.” Ask this question and then listen. When he/she finishes answering, you will know more about him/her than many friends you have known for years! And the person you have asked will feel known and cared for!
5. What are you doing when you feel God’s pleasure?
This question is inspired by a great quote from the movie “Chariots of Fire” winner of the 1981 Academy Award for the Best Picture. In the movie Eric Liddell – winner of the 400 meters Gold Medal in the 1924 Olympics shares, “I believe that God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast and when I run I feel his pleasure.” What are you doing when you feel God’s pleasure?
6. What are you doing to develop leaders?
This question comes from my friend Chris Hodges – Senior Pastor of the Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama. It is the one question that Chris continually asks to grow his church from its beginning in 2001 to more than 51,000 now attending services each weekend.
7. What questions are you asking yourself lately?
This question comes from my lifelong mentor (since 1980) Bobb Biehl. Bobb is the wisest man I have been privileged to know. He is the first one that shared with me the value of questions. Bobb shares that whenever he asks leaders this question – they immediately have an answer and the conversation immediately goes deep.
8. What’s something that would be impossible to do, but if you could do it, would dramatically increase your success?
Of course the questions that follow are: “What would make it possible?” & “How are you going to have to change as a leader to make it possible?” (Almost all of our roadblocks are between our left and right ears)
Helping you increase your Leadership Effectiveness X10 by moving from “Leading by Telling” to “Leading With Questions” continues to be my only focus!
In closing, may I ask you for a huge favor? Would you please take a few minutes to share with me how I might serve you more effectively during the coming year? I am eager to hear and learn from you!
Guest Post by Dr. Eric Zabiegalski and Dr. Craig Filipkowski Note from Bob: You may already know the story...
Guest Post by Molly Fletcher Originally Posted @ MollyFletcher.com What leader doesn’t want to be more...
Excerpted from Chapter 16 of “Now That’s a Great Question.” Click HERE to listen to Chapter...
Guest Post by Joe Baker Consider current research and answer these four questions. Current research shows...
My Mom, Clara Tiede, was the best Mom I could have ever had. With one year of Junior College she became a...
Guest Post by Jennifer Ledet I wonder if you can cast your memory back to the beginning of the year? What...
Guest Post by Bill Durkin Fifty years ago on April 17, 1970, four days after their oxygen tank exploded...