Great Leaders Ask Questions: A Leadership Mindset for Long-Term Success
Empower Your Team to Think
Great leadership isn’t about giving orders—it’s about developing people who can think and lead for themselves. Too many leaders focus on immediate results, but lasting success comes from building teams that can problem-solve, adapt, and perform at a high level over time.
Think Long-Term
During a visit to MIT, Steve Jobs was asked about some of the lessons he learned while working at Apple. His response was clear: great leadership is about developing people for the long run, not just optimizing for quick wins. He explained that many leaders make the mistake of focusing only on immediate results, when true success comes from investing in people so they can think, innovate, and take ownership of their work.
Short-sighted leadership creates dependency. When leaders make every decision, they train their teams to wait for direction. But when leaders challenge, guide, and empower, they build teams that can think, adapt, and succeed independently—not just today, but in the future.
The Power of Asking Questions
Jocko Willink and Leif Babin emphasize in their book, Extreme Ownership, that strong leaders don’t just tell people what to do—they guide them to think for themselves. Instead of providing all the answers, they ask strategic questions that help their teams assess problems, weigh options, and make decisions.
This approach strengthens problem-solving skills, confidence, and accountability. When people arrive at solutions on their own, they’re more engaged, motivated, and committed to their work. A leader’s job isn’t to do the thinking for their team—it’s to develop a team that can think, decide, and execute effectively on their own.
It’s the difference between coaching and instructing—between teaching someone how to fish versus simply giving them a meal. Leaders who embrace this approach don’t just build better teams; they create lasting impact by cultivating independent thinkers, problem-solvers, and future leaders.
Unlock Your Leadership Potential
Leadership begins with the individual. The same principles that make great leaders are the foundation for personal growth and success. If you’re serious about your growth, coaching may be the next step for you.
At Two Monks Consulting, we believe strong leadership starts with personal development. Through coaching and training, we help individuals develop the mindset and skills needed to lead with confidence, make better decisions, and achieve long-term success—both personally and professionally.
