1 Critical Reminder I Give Myself During Important Meetings: Just Ask Questions

As a visionary leader, it’s tempting to walk into important meetings and take control. When you’re used to driving the business forward, it can feel natural to steer the conversation, deliver directives, and push for quick decisions. But I’ve learned that the true measure of leadership isn’t about how much you direct–it’s about how much you elevate the people around you. That’s why I just ask questions.

As a leader, you often have the answers. You know where the business needs to go, and you’ve likely got a clear sense of how to get there. But growing a successful company isn’t about being the smartest person in the room–it’s about building a team that feels empowered, engaged, and confident enough to take ownership of their work.

Leadership is not about how much you speak; it’s about the impact of your team’s actions. The more my team talks during meetings, the more confident they become in their ideas, their abilities, and their roles in the company. The more I listen, the more opportunities I give them to grow.

By asking the right questions, I can uncover new ideas, challenge assumptions, and get my team to think deeper about the challenges we face. It also gives them the chance to voice their opinions and feel a sense of ownership over the direction we’re taking. That’s how you build a team that’s motivated and ready to drive the company forward–because they feel like they’re part of the solution, not just following orders.

There’s an old saying: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” It’s one of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a leader. Sure, I could walk into any meeting and make decisions quickly, driving results in the short term. But real growth–sustainable growth–comes from investing in your team’s ability to think critically, solve problems, and take ownership. And that takes time.

When you take the time to slow down and ask thoughtful questions, you’re doing more than just gathering information. You’re nurturing your team’s potential. You’re showing them that their perspectives matter and that they are capable of figuring things out. This process may take longer, but the payoff is a team that can operate at a higher level, solve bigger problems, and contribute meaningfully to the company’s growth.

The importance of the “just ask questions” approach is that as much as you do know about your business, you don’t know everything about what’s going on among your team, or what solutions they’ve tried. You don’t know everything until you ask all the questions necessary. 

As a leader, you might find this ritual helpful for yourself too. Not because you don’t have the answers, but because you want to elevate my team by helping them find their own. Leadership is about fostering growth, and that growth happens when you ask the right questions and give others the room to shine.