I am always looking for ways to increase my leadership capabilities. I serve in a position of leadership within my church, and have discovered over the years that this is a critical area of my growth that I must intentionally focus on, or it just won’t happen. Because of that, I strive to read several good resources each year, take in a conference or workshop, or find an online event or resource that I can utilize to help me grow as a leader.
I have been a longtime fan of John Maxwell for this area of my growth. He recently launched an online resource called LILO: Lead In, Lead Out. This is kind of like the Netflix for leaders; it is filled with short videos and resources that you can take a few moments here and there to learn something and improve your abilities. I subscribed, and have been extremely satisfied with the content.
In one recent video I watched, Maxwell referenced his book, Good Leaders Ask Great Questions. I was immediately interested, since this is a book I had not yet read by Maxwell. So I ordered it, and started digging into it last weekend. The premise is simple: if you want to grow as a leader, you need to learn to ask good questions, questions that will help you learn, questions that will help you connect with others, questions that will challenge you to grow, and questions that will help you develop better ideas.
I have long said that I know I’m not smart enough to have all the good ideas, and I need to surround myself with other who can help me grow, and stimulate my thinking in ways that I don’t normally. Questions are a great way to capitalize on that. Asking questions is critical to growing, but you also have to know how to ask good questions.
I am convinced that this will be a book that helps take my leadership to a new level, and will help me expand my thinking as I strive to grow. If you are in a leadership position, you should check it out as well. You can pick up a copy for yourself on Amazon.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.