An outdated leadership model pressures leaders to have all the answers. The superior, long-term approach is to focus on the individual, not the problem, by asking questions that guide them to their own solutions, thereby building their confidence and critical thinking skills.
We are born curious, but societal norms and professional expectations reward having answers, not questions. This conditioning suppresses our natural inquisitiveness, causing a drastic decline in the number of questions we ask daily as we age.
The skills taught in improvisational theater—adaptability, active listening, and building on others' ideas—are directly applicable to effective leadership. Organizations bring in training divisions from improv groups like Second City to teach executives these critical collaborative skills.
Gallup data shows historic disengagement among millennials. A focus group revealed the root cause isn't about perks, but a feeling that leaders don't know or care about their potential contributions. They feel they have relevant information but are rarely consulted.
Executive teams can argue endlessly when they use the same words but have different underlying definitions. A simple intervention—pausing to have each person define a key term—can reveal they aren't even talking about the same problem, immediately resolving the conflict.
To transform team dynamics, leaders should intentionally ask questions that invite challenges and alternative viewpoints. Simple prompts like 'What might we be missing here?' or 'Does anyone have a different point of view?' create psychological safety and signal that all contributions are valued.