5 Easy Questions Great Leaders Ask

Let's not overthink leadership. Being a great leader is not complicated, it needs application of what you probably already know.

Here are a few questions that will sort out 95% of the leadership qualities you need to show. Have fun with them!

1.      What do my customers want?

Getting inside the head of your customers is a recipe for success. Taking the role of one of your customers or clients and looking at your service or products from their perspective helps structure a sound and growing business.

Better still, ask them what they want or need; what irritates them. And thank them for their insights with thanks. Take complaints in as a real positive - for knowing what went wrong gives you the information you can correct and grow stronger on.

2.     How do I get the best from my people?

Enjoying the benefits of truly 'turned on' people in your business makes a huge difference. Finding out what they need to be successful for you can be more challenging. But have you asked them what they need to do their best for you? Be sensitive and responsive to their needs.

This simple step will provide you with people strategies that work. Many solutions will be straightforward to implement and can build belief and trust in you as a leader. The more significant challenges can be solved by involving your people, so they have a positive and constructive input.

It will be worthwhile - for everyone.

3.     How can we make the best use of our resources?

What resources? People, goodwill, reputation, location. USP, and more... Well, make sure that you understand what they are. Ask your customers and people what you represent to them - and then do more, much more of it.

Then review those things that you can do less of, and save resource costs. Focusing on what you are best at and dropping things that don't create value for you can be very value-creating.

4.     What wastes our time?

It's a simple question, but with an easy answer. What value is created when I spend time on this activity? If your challenge is to make £100 an hour profit for your organisation, is what you are spending your time on doing just that? What things do you and your people do that doesn’t?

Try stopping doing things, some of which you may have done for months and years when little or no value is created and switch to more things that do. Stop some things and start others - simple as that.

5.     What do we need to change?

Constantly reviewing where you are in your business and making minor course adjustments, like the autopilot of a jumbo jet, will maximise your performance. The first steps are for leaders to spot-check all they do. Doing this will encourage your people to start to do it themselves. Remember, the best time to review, review, and review again, is when you are successful. And then be very challenging and honest about yourselves.

Bake review in. Make small but significant changes regularly once you have evidence of drifting off course. That makes for a consistently healthy & growing organisation and reduces the need for cataclysmic change.

Are you up for this refreshing challenge? What better way to start your new focus on your business, organisation or team?

Martin Haworth is a leadership coach, trainer and writer. As a leader, he found these questions interesting, laying a foundation for productive growth. He lives in Gloucester, England and Zooms extensively as a Leadership Trainer and Coach.

**Hot off the press**. Martin has just launched the Kind Leader Program . Take a look!