Effective leadership is not always telling, but asking
Posted On September 19, 2024
It seems only natural for leaders to tell those in their charge what to do. After all, their expertise is part of the reason they became leaders in the first place.
But our guest in a recent episode of “What’s Working with Cam Marston” tells us that effective leadership relies more on asking than telling.
Bob Tiede is co-author of “Leading with Questions,” which puts forth the idea that asking your employees to join in the process of coming up with ideas and solutions is a more effective way to lead.
It’s an idea based in research – some of which has shown that asking questions leads to greater trust.
“It’s a human trait – we love to be seen and we love to be heard,” Tiede said. “When you’re asked a question, that person is communicating that they see you. You feel valued.”
Harnessing the combined brainpower of your employees also increases probability that you’ll reach the best idea. And it increases employee ownership in whatever plan or idea is decided upon. “Empowerment breeds commitment,” Tiede said.
Simply asking employees what they think about an idea or how to solve a problem doesn’t usually yield the best results, however. “Research shows that when we’re asked to give an opinion on something, instinctively we roll out a safe answer,” Tiede said. “We’re testing the waters.”
So it’s important to encourage them to elaborate – “What else? Tell me more.” And not just once, but two or three times. “What I’ve discovered is that it’s actually the third or fourth question that gets to the gold nugget – their very best thought,” Tiede said.
Asking isn’t the best policy in every situation, however. Tiede notes that there are times we need to dictate, like when we’re training someone in something they’ve never done, or we’re in an emergency situation.
“Wisdom,” he said, “is knowing when to tell and when to ask.”