Monday Career Motivation | #20 - Why leaders still ask questions
A little bit of optimistic motivation for your week!
Welcome to this week's edition of Monday Motivation!
Monday Motivation is a weekly read you can read in less than 5 minutes. It aims to motivate you with one or more easy-to-think-about ideas and concepts to challenge you, helping your career, career development and growth.
Think of these weekly emails as side quests to your development. The suggested action tips can easily be incorporated into your overall system to help you work to your career goals.
Why Leaders still ask questions
It is easy to assume that the more senior you get in your career, the less you ask questions.
This would be an incorrect assumption.
It's the type of questions that change, not the frequency.
When we are early in our career, we are trying to survive. We ask questions that are usually related to the direct functioning of our role.
We ask questions like 'How do I write this spec', 'Is this the right format?', 'Where do i find this information' or 'What do I put in this presentation?'
Some people would be under the impression when they transition to a senior role, they don't ask questions anymore, because it would make them look bad.
Many have worked with people who have taken this approach where the pressure or thought of being a senior leader automatically means they MUST know everything and so they never ask questions. What's happening underneath is a sense of fear, amongst other generally negative emotions.
There is a fallacy that someone who is senior in their role should have all the answers
The opposite is true.
A senior person is not someone who knows everything.Â
A senior leader is someone very knowledgeable in a particular area. They have gone through numerous storms and applied their skills in different ways. As a result, knowledge and capability to weather storms has grown.
As part of the transition to senior leadership, the types of questions change, not disappear.
Being senior includes applying what you have known and how you approach and handle situations. This includes asking many questions to get enough of a picture of a problem to make calculated decisions - especially on the larger projects you're part of or manage and the more significant impact you're expected to have. This is part of leadership (not assuming you know everything).
By asking questions, regardless of the level, leaders create a culture anchored in a growth mindset. This approach encourages other team members, especially those earlier in their careers, to think critically and creatively.
Some tips on how we can ask more questions:
Listen more - we often think about what we are going to say rather than actually listen to others
Ask open-ended questions - 'What did you think of that?'Â
Validate your own understanding by asking about a situation - this invites feedback and clarification
In conclusion, asking questions is not just about seeking information; it's a strategic tool that can significantly enhance a senior leader's effectiveness. They can understand more and reduce risk by making informed decisions, leading to stronger teams and a more collaborative and innovative workplace.
Action tip for the week ahead:Â How many questions do you generally ask? Try asking more questions about your project work to see what more information you can learn?
Have an amazing week!
