Leadership questions - proceed with caution !

 Tue 30 July 2024

How to Be Curious—Without Undermining Your Expertise

Adopting a learning mindset is a key leadership skill. But asking too many questions or appearing overly curious can backfire, undermining people’s perception of your effectiveness, efficiency, and expertise. Here’s how to strike the right balance between leading and learning.

(1) Communicate purpose and context. 

Always provide the rationale behind the questions you ask in meetings and discussions. This will help prevent people from misinterpreting your inquisitiveness as a sign that you lack expertise. For example, “I’m asking this to align my actions with yours and consider your perspective.”

(2) Integrate learning with execution.

 Tie new knowledge you accrue directly to your team’s work. Share insights that are immediately relevant to current projects, showing how your learning enhances both your own decision-making and the team’s results.

(3) Demonstrate expertise with confidence. 

Frame your questions to reflect what you do understand. Instead of asking basic questions, demonstrate depth by getting more specific. For example, “Considering trends A and B, how do you see our product C evolving?”

(4) Be decisive.

 Continuously seeking more opinions can delay decision-making and cause the team to question your decisiveness. After gathering input on something, set a deadline for making a decision. Clearly communicate your thought process and chosen strategy, ensuring your team sees how your learning leads to action.

This tip is adapted from “When Asking Too Many Questions Undermines Your Leadership,” by Luis Velasquez