Are you asking powerful questions?

I received this Peter Drucker quote in my inbox recently and it set my mind wondering.

The leader of the past may have been a person who knows how to tell, but the leader of the future will be a person who knows how to ask.Peter Drucker

If the leaders of the past knew how to tell, and the leaders of the future know how to ask, then what exactly do the leaders of today know?

Are they somewhere in between asking and telling, some midway point on a scale between the two styles? If so, I guess that suggests that they do have some competence in how to ask questions!

So, what more do today’s leaders need to know about asking questions, for them to become a great future leader?

Perhaps it’s how to ask a powerful question? The one that motivates the recipient to think for themselves, take accountability for themselves and commit to delivering on their promise.

The type of purposeful question that demonstrates such a strong belief in the potential of the people they lead, that it serves to inspire and engage them.

The one that short circuits the hard formed pattern of being told what to do, and how to do it, that has been prevalent in manager/employee relationships for a few generations.

And, what of the followers in the future….how will they need to think differently from people today, and from those in the past, in order to respond to the powerful questions from tomorrow’s leaders?

As one of today’s leaders, maybe you could start to equip both yourself and your followers for tomorrow.

Food for thought…