“The leader of the past was a person who knew how to tell.

The leader of the future will be the person who knows how to ask.”

Peter Drucker

The leaders of today’s organizations are facing growing groups of disconnected, disengaged, or actively disengaged followers. This is noted in the recently released Gallup 2025 State of the Workplace and this week’s Gallup-Walton Family report, Teaching for Tomorrow Educators on the Future of Their Profession. The Gallup–Walton report shows that two-thirds of teachers are satisfied with their workplace, yet one in five may not return to the classroom next year. The Gallup–Walton report states that “compared to other industries, K-12 teachers are less satisfied than most of their peers. Across industries and employers in Gallup’s national employee engagement database, the median percentage of employees who say they are delighted with their organization is 34%, which is more than 10 percentage points higher than the 22% of teachers who say the same. Whether due to unsatisfactory working conditions or something else, nearly one in five teachers say they do not plan to return to the classroom next year (5%) or are unsure whether they will (13%).” The workplace and Teacher surveys note that productivity increases when people are encouraged or supported. Both reports point to the importance of leaders who care and connect. The Harvard Business Review article, What’s the Future of Middle Management? by Gretchen Gavett and Vasundhara Sawhney, notes that middle managers are crucial to this and raises the concern of delayering, reducing middle managers when they are more needed than ever. The authors cite two reasons: “First, as the link between frontline employees and senior leadership, middle managers have direct access to customer insights. They are uniquely positioned to detect shifts in customer needs. Second, middle managers serve as coaches and mentors, translating strategic shifts into action at the ground level. As technological change reshapes job roles, they guide employees through transitions, helping them acquire new skills and adapt to evolving responsibilities.”

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This foreboding information from all sectors points to a need for leaders to adopt a different model to connect with those they lead. This connection requires a commitment to a communication model based on the Four P’s: Present Listening, Powerful Curious Questions, Pause, Reflect, Response, and Practice. An A.S.K. (always seeking knowledge)mindset based on questions, not answers, is the driving force, the engine, of that shift in an intentional communication approach. Interestingly, this thinking runs contrary to the leadership mythology of telling, not asking, and current leadership models worldwide

. The A.S.K. Mindset is the opposite approach wit,hbut it’sroven beneficial one. Gallup, in their annual report published last week, shows that companies with higher engagement and reported concern for the well-being of followers are as much as 3 times more profitable and have higher retention rates. Lost productivety and costs of recruitment and retraining are reasons enough for leaders to learn powerful questions; the Harvard Business Review in May -June 2018 Managing People by Alison Wood Brooks and Leslie K. John write, “Much of an executive’s workday is spent asking others for information—requesting status updates from a team leader, for example, or questioning a counterpart in a tense negotiation. Yet unlike professionals such as litigators, journalists, and doctors, who are taught how to ask questions as an essential part of their training, few executives think of questioning as a skill that can be honed—or consider how their own answers to questions could make conversations more productive. That’s a missed opportunity.” The authors note, “Questioning is a powerful tool for unlocking value in companies: It spurs learning and the exchange of ideas, it fuels innovation and better performance, and it builds trust among team members. And it can mitigate business risk by uncovering unforeseen pitfalls and hazards.”

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Powerful, curious questions are the engine of authentic leadership communication. As the second pillar of powerful communication, following present listening and preceding pause, reflecting, and practicing, A Questioning A.S.K. mindset unlocks insight, connection, and growth for leaders and their organizations. The art and science of asking the right questions with the A.S.K. mindset is not just a communication tactic; it’s a leadership superpower.

This Thursday’s Leadership Insight is the second in a series on the capacity skill of powerful, effective communication, focusing on the engine of powerful, curious questions. The power of questions for leaders and the types of powerful, curious questions a leader can use will be discussed. There will also be a brief look at the works of John Maxwell and Charles Duhigg on the power of the intentional mind, as well asd how leaders can intentionally and strategically use powerful, curious questions.Ten benefits of the indeliberatestrategic use of powerful, curious questions will be shared.

The Power of Questions for Leaders

Heyden Enochson in an On Strategy blog Leading Questions: 10 Examples and 5 Powerful Benefits

writes, “In executive leadership, the ability to lead with powerful questions is an invaluable skill that can transform an organization’s dynamics. This approach fosters a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement and empowers individuals at all levels.” Great leaders are not defined by the answers they give but by the questions they ask. Questions spark curiosity, and innovation invites engagement and ownership. They also reveal new perspectives and hidden challenges for better decision-making and build trust and connection.

Charles Duhigg, in Supercommunicators, notes that the most effective communicator, “supercommunicators,” will ask ten to twenty times more questions than the average person. These questions are not random; they are intentional, curious, and often deep, inviting others to share their experiences, values, and feelings.

John Maxwell echoes this in The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication: “Effective communication is a two-way street. Listen to others and seek to understand their perspective.” In Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, Maxwell reminds us that genuine connection requires moving beyond transmitting information to building relationships and understanding.

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Types of Powerful, Curious Questions and Examples

Not all questions are created equal. Leaders who master the following types of questions create richer, more meaningful conversations:

1. Open Questions

Invite expansive answers and dialogue. Example: “What’s most important to you right now?”

2. Curious, Learning Questions

Target essential information or clarify understanding. Example: “What do we need to know before moving forward?”

3. Affirming Questions:

Recognize strengths and validate contributions. Example: “What did you do well in this situation? Or Did I understand your thoughts?”

3. Expanding Questions

Encourage deeper exploration or broader thinking. Example: “What other possibilities could we consider?” What more do you see in this situation, or Are we missing anything?

4. In-Depth (Deep) Questions

Probe values, beliefs, and emotions. Example: “What made you decide to pursue this path?” or How do you feel about this process? Where do you see these decisions as our future plans?”

Duhigg emphasizes that deep questions, those that move beyond surface facts to feelings and motivations, are compelling for building trust and demonstrating empathy and emotional connection. Stephanie Chung, at a recent International Maxwell Confrence, reported that using these types of questions creates a neuro-biological brain shift to create feelings of connection, expanding learning by moving feelings from the reptilian brain to the frontal cortex. She refers to these as “Brain Hacks.”

Successful communication happens when both people are having the same type of conversation at the same time.” – Charles Duhigg.

Insights on Questions in Practice from Charles Duhigg’s Supercommunicators

Duhigg’s research highlights that questions are the foundation of meaningful conversations, especially in emotional and social contexts. He identifies three primary types of conversations:

1. Practical: Focused on problem-solving or planning.
2. Emotional: Centered on feelings and validation.
3. Social: About identity and relationships

Matching and Looping for Understanding

Supercommunicators excel by matching the type of conversation and using questions to guide and deepen it. For example, if someone shares an emotional experience, a supercommunicator will ask, “What did that feel like for you?” rather than shifting to practical advice. This matching principle ensures both parties are on the same wavelength, reducing miscommunication and fostering connection.

Duhigg introduces the 2nd practice of looping as a way to prove you’re truly listening. Looping for understanding is a three-step technique that proves you are genuinely listening and helps prevent misunderstandings.

The looping steps are:

1. Ask a question, preferably a deep, open-ended one that invites the other person to share their perspective or feelings.
2. Summarize what you heard in your own words, reflecting the essence of their message.
3. Ask if you got it right, inviting correction or elaboration if needed.

This process not only clarifies understanding but also signals respect and genuine curiosity. Both practices rely on purposeful, curious questions to foster trust, empathy, and authentic human connection. By practicing matching and looping, leaders and communicators can avoid common conversational pitfalls, build stronger relationships, and create a culture where everyone feels truly heard.

“The goal is not mimicry… The goal is to show them that you’re processing what they’ve said.”

Charles Duhigg

Supercommunicators

Insights on Questions in Practice from Maxwell’s Laws and Connecting Through Questions

John Maxwell’s communication principles reinforce the value of powerful, curious questions:

1. The Law of Connection: “Communication is all about connecting with people. If you can’t connect with others, you can’t communicate effectively.”
2. The Law of Simplicity: “Clarity is power. Clear is kind. Everything must be as simple as possible. If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it.”
3. The Law of Respect: Show respect by being genuinely curious about others’ experiences and perspectives.
4. The Law of the Heart: People are more likely to listen if they feel your care questions are a primary way to show that care.

“True communication involves building meaningful relationships, motivating and inspiring others, and ultimately having an impact.”

John Maxwell: Everyone Communicates, Few Connect,

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Ten Benefits of a Powerful, Curious Question Culture

A culture where powerful, curious questions are welcomed and valued offers profound advantages for leaders and organizations:

1. Deeper Engagement: Employees feel heard and valued, increasing motivation and commitment
2. Better Problem-Solving: Diverse perspectives lead to more creative and effective solutions.
3. Enhanced Trust: Open dialogue builds psychological safety and trust among team members.
4. Continuous Learning: Curiosity drives ongoing development and adaptability.
5. Improved Conflict Management: Questions surface hidden issues and enable constructive resolution
6. Greater Inclusion: Every voice matters, fostering a sense of belonging and collaboration.
7. Increased Ownership: People take responsibility for outcomes when they help shape decisions.
8. Better Listening: Questioning leaders model and encourage attentive, active listening
9. Leadership Development: Asking questions cultivates future leaders and critical thinkers.
10. Organizational Agility: A questioning culture quickly identifies and adapts to change

In Leading with Questions, author Michael Marquart notes, “People who are comfortable with questions are nimble in adjusting to fluid change and limber in their thinking in the face of new data or realities.”

Powerful, curious questions are not just a communication tool or fix. They are a leadership Mindset of A. Always S . Seeking, K.Knowledge This mindset of using powerful, curious questions transforms conversations from transactional to transformational, fosters connection, and drives organizational excellence. As Charles Duhigg and John Maxwell both demonstrate, when leaders ask the right questions at the right time and in the proper process, they unlock the full potential of their people and create cultures where everyone thrives.

The Leadership question for you, then, is

Are you willing to put in the hard work to be a super communicator?

What is your Mindset about using powerful, curious questions to match conversation and loop for understanding and learning?