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Good Leaders Ask Great Questions

Good Leaders Ask Great Questions

In August 2014, I attended the John Maxwell Team Certification Program in Orlando, Florida. During the event, Maxwell personally signed a copy of his latest release Good Leaders Ask Great Questions: Your Foundation for Successful Leadership.

His premise for the book is that if you want to be successful and reach your leadership potential, you need to embrace asking questions as a lifestyle.

That’s consistent with one of my leadership tips: “Ask Questions…Don’t Give Answers.” For my team members, I want to know what they would do. What do they think? I don’t want to know what they think the Director of the Johnson Space Center or their Supervisor would do. I could easily ask those individuals directly.  Instead, I want their opinion and perspective.

Over the years, I’ve found if I approach leadership with more questions than answers, it spurs on more creativity and innovation from the team. In fact, as a leader, I try to anticipate the questions my boss will ask and address those before they’re asked.

Click here to learn more from John Maxwell’s Good Leaders Ask Great Questions.

God Gave Us 2 Ears & 1 Mouth…

2 Ears & 1 Mouth

James 1:19 urges us to “Be swift to hear (and) slow to speak.” Listening is one of the 21 Irrefutable Qualities of a Leader, according to John Maxwell. He says that good leaders motivate others by the following listening skills: avoid biased first impressions; become less self-centered; withhold initial criticism; stay calm; listen with empathy; clarify what we hear; and recognize the healing power of listening.

Through listening, leaders earn the right to speak into the lives of their people. Because they listen, they speak with relevance. And as they listen, they display love, compassion, and understanding.

President Woodrow Wilson said, “The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.”

Click here to learn from a couple of Old Testament examples – Rehoboam & David.