Want to Master Your Leadership?

Ask Yourself This One Question

There are many paths to grow your leadership. You could take the long path of educational pursuits and gaining years of experience or shoot straight to the top with an entrepreneurial endeavor. No matter how you reached the top echelon, you will at some point be faced with important leadership questions. Focusing on finding the right answers is not the place to start. It is about knowing the right questions to ask.

Do you find yourself contemplating, "I wonder what great leaders do in this situation?" That is the wrong question to ask yourself. The answers are multiple and can be quite confusing. There is one simple yet highly effective question to always ask yourself. It is..

This question puts you front and center with assessing what matters, what will make a difference, and how it aligns to others and the organizational goals. You are in your leadership position to drive results and to motivate others to do the same. When you ask. "What will help the organization?" you are not only removing yourself from all the confusing questions that may not pertain to you but also remembering that your leadership role is about aligning to what will positively impact your organization. Your organization is unique in its makeup, objectives, and overall purpose. Your leadership need to speak to that uniqueness.

It is very much like a physical trainer asking herself the less empowering question, "What would a great physical trainer do with this client?" If she asks instead, "What will help this client?" then she is in alignment with this particular client's needs and desires. The physical trainer's guidepost will be what will produce the positive outcomes for that client. She has removed herself from becoming entrenched and bogged down by the thousands of ways to effect positive change as a physical trainer. She is looking for alignment to just that one client.