Peter Atkinson: Great Questions for Leaders

Good Leaders Ask Great Questions

by John C. Maxwell

Part I (Chapters 1-3) of John C. Maxwell's Good Leaders Ask Great Questions focuses on questions the author asks, while Part II (Chapters 4-10) consists of questions other leaders have asked him.

The premise to this book is as follows: "If you want to be successful and reach your leadership potential, you need to embrace asking questions as a lifestyle." (4) Maxwell gives several reasons for his position including:

You will only get answers to the questions you explicitly ask;
Questions are a highly effective way of connecting with people;
Asking questions engenders humility;
Questions challenge our mindsets and invite different perspectives; and
Questions generate better ideas and stimulate creativity.

In Chapter 2, Maxwell reveals the key questions about leadership that he asks himself. Since a key principle of leadership is that a leader must first lead himself, Maxwell asks Am I Investing in Myself? He playfully takes liberties with a quotation by Socrates on this point: "The unexamined leader is not worth following." (47) He also asks Am I Genuinely Interested in Others?, as he recognizes that he never wants "...to put my leadership ahead of the people I lead." (31) He asks as well Am I Grounded as a Leader? as he values both authenticity and humility in leadership: Leaders "...use self-deprecating humor and laugh at themselves. When they are asked to speak, they prefer simple introductions, and they walk among the people and connect with them...." (35) I particularly like his question Am I Adding Value to My Team? Maxwell believes that a leader adds value when he creates a workplace environment of encouragement and support and he gives consideration to every employee's strengths and weaknesses. He writes, "[Leaders] must value completing one another more highly than competing with one another." (38)

In Chapter 3, Maxwell then turns to the questions he asks his co-workers. The question he most frequently asks them is What Do You Think? Asking this question allows him to gather key information on important considerations, confirm his intuitions, and assess team members' judgments and leadership abilities. He also asks How Can I Serve You? Writes the author: "If you are not asking the members of your team how you can serve them, you may be holding them up." (62) What Did You Learn? and Did We Add Value? are two additional questions he poses when speaking with co-workers. He recognizes the importance of asking How Are the Numbers?, but also favours questions such as What Do I Need to Know? and What Am I Missing? that solicit more subjective feedback.

Maxwell opens Part II of Good Leaders Ask Great Questions with a set of questions he has been asked by other leaders that can be grouped around the general question What Must I Do to Lead Myself Successfully? Of primary consideration in this section is the question Why does leading myself seem more difficult than leading others? Maxwell's response is that a leader's blind spots, such as ego, insecurity, character weaknesses, and singular perspective, create the difficulty. Of these, he notes that lack of character is a "deal-breaker" when it comes to leadership. (93) In response to the question What Are the Most Important Values for a Leader?, the author states servanthood, integrity, relationships, and renewal. He makes reference to Stephen Covey's concept of sharpening the saw in his elaborating on the importance of renewal. Maxwell provides a concise yet compelling response to the question What is The Most Effective Daily Habit for Any Leader to Develop? when he states "...giving more than you receive." (101)

In Chapter 5, Maxwell answers questions on how leadership works. His answer to the question What is the Ultimate Purpose of Leadership? is that "...leadership is about adding value to people." (124) A leader adds value for employees when he/she makes workers' agenda his/her priority, listens to their stories, and believes in them. When asked what are the strategies a leader needs to rely on to pull his/her team through difficult times, the author recommends defining reality, reminding everyone of the big picture, developing a clear plan, promoting teamwork, and giving them hope.

Maxwell uses an interesting analogy of the 4 seasons to describe the rhythms of leadership. Beginning times in leadership are analogous to winter - a time for planning and visioning. The spring season of leadership is a time of planting - "...the time to take winter plans and ideas and put them into action." (140) Summer is a time of cultivation for leaders - a time for hard work, long hours, and perspiration. Lastly, the autumn of leadership is the abundant harvest from the successful planning, planting, and labouring.

Next, Maxwell tackles a series of questions that focus on getting started in leadership. In response to the question How can a Young Leader Establish His Vision and Get Buy-in?, the author responds that a new leader must first develop trust by displaying both character and competence. Effective ways to demonstrate character include showing care for people and always being honest. Maxwell also offers some good advice for introverted leaders who wonder how they can succeed in such an extroverted role. First, he emphasizes that they must understand the value of connecting with employees and rise above their introspective proclivity. As well, they should seek feedback from other leaders to ensure that they are leveraging their natural leadership strengths.

Chapter 7 focuses on resolving conflict and leading difficult employees. Maxwell provides the following process for dealing with an employee with a poor attitude:

Meet with the employee privately and as soon as possible;
Listen first to his/her "side of the story" (176);
Try to reach a point of agreement;
Put in writing a plan of action - with a deadline for completion; and
Communicate your regard for the person and commitment to help.

Maxwell also offers some good advice on how to push team members past mediocre performance: "...one of the best ways to raise the bar for people is to do it incrementally." (180)

In Chapter 8, the questions are centred around succeeding despite poor leadership. Here is the author's strategy for working with a leader who doesn't like you:

Acknowledge your negative emotions but don't allow them to consume you;
Look for areas of agreement with your leader;
Remain "consistently pleasant" (213); and
Help solve problems.

When your leader lacks vision, Maxwell suggests you allow yourself to be guided by the organizational culture and vision, identify your own sense of purpose, and share your vision with your leader.

Leadership transitions is the theme of Chapter 9. Recognizing that "A leader's lasting value is measured by succession" (249), Maxwell provides sound advice for leaders who are transitioning out of their roles:

Plan ahead;
Prepare your successor;
Resolve any unfinished business;
Say goodbye - and then leave; and
Be available for your successor - but only when your successor asks for your assistance.

I very much like the relay race baton-passing analogy for the leadership succession process which the author employs:

The one who will pass the baton keeps running at full speed until the baton is passed while the one receiving the baton starts running before he receives it. While both runners remain in the same lane, the baton is passed such that an extra step is gained in the exchange. Following the exchange, the one who passed the baton gets out of the new runner's way, stops and "...walks across the infield to cheer for the successor at the finish line." (250)

In the final chapter, the topic is development of leaders. Maxwell suggests that the following characteristics will identify individuals as potential candidates for leadership: