Why Asking Questions Builds Trust

Many leaders fear asking questions or inviting other perspectives for fear it will diminish their perceived credibility as a leader. The opposite is true.

Asking questions and inviting other perspectives builds trust and enhances your credibility as a leader. By asking questions we promote more meaningful connections and creative outcomes. We also open opportunities to learn something new about a topic we may already think we have mastered.

Modern leaders know when open-ended questions can offer someone an opportunity to expand on a viewpoint or to actively problem-solve. For example, rather than asking, ‘Do you need anything in your new role?’ consider asking, ‘What do you need in your new role that would help you thrive?’.

---

“Today’s leaders need to understand that openness, humility and the desire to grow are critical to running a modern organisation.”

- Tony Schwartz, CEO of The Energy Project in The Harvard Business Review

What is an open question you can ask your team to help them thrive today?

You can read more in my latest book, Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership, which is available everywhere.

You can also follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram where I tend to be the most active. See you there!