A profound redefinition of leadership is underway, one where truly effective leadership is about proactively uplifting people and whole systems to new levels of resourcefulness and capability, sustainable growth, and wellbeing. I am inspired by people who have this calling in their bones, way-showers that activate thriving in themselves and amplify thriving within others.
They are part of a growing global leadership movement that is evolving the drive to lead from me to we, from managing resources to uplifting people and whole systems, from fixing problems in the short-term to sustainable solutions, from scarcity to abundance, and in essence, from fear to love. I believe this leadership approach is more productive and relevant given the complexities we face in our organizations, societies, and personal lives.
As I work with and come across these leaders, I’m fascinated by the strategic questionsthey ask. You could call me a question-collector! Why their questions? Because as author Fran Peavey once said in her book By Life’s Grace,
“Questioning is a basic tool for rebellion. It breaks open the stagnant hardened shells of the present and opens up the options that might be explored.”
Great questions can awaken transformational energy within people and tap into a force as infinite and reliable as gravity—our human imagination. Exactly what we need to light up new paths through the “stagnant hardened shells” we often experience in every aspect of our lives and work.
See if the questions these leaders are asking open any new doors for you—and add your questions in the ‘comments’ section below. I’d love to learn about the deeper questions driving you!
- How can we bring greater value to our customers and society? – Sari Ek-Petroff, head of People and Leadership Development, Culture, and Wellbeing, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
- How do we rethink people policies that allow individuals to really breathe, to have a sense of wholeness and of being in charge of their lives?– Bernard Tyson, CEO of health company Kaiser Permanente
- How can we foster the conditions that bring about growth and vitality of people?– Alicia Mandel, Principal at consulting firm Medius Advisory Group
- How can we recreate or reengineer our system around wellbeing principles? How do we make wellbeing our core organizing principle? – Tracy Gaudet, M.D., Executive Director of the Office of Patient-Centered Care and Cultural Transformation at the Veterans Health Administration
- How well do people working for your organization experience a sense they are part of something meaningful—a shared purpose, a larger vision, or inspirational values—that transcends their day-to-day work? – One out of a set of Culture of Wellbeing & Care questions developed by the Wellness at Work initiative team at the Global Wellness Institute
- Do we have the space and energy to give enough of ourselves to the people we really love, and to our community? How much of ourselves are we prepared to sacrifice to our overflowing inbox, our ever-present smartphones? Can we listen and observe what happens around us and inside us? – A few of the beautifully enriching questions asked by Paolo Gallo, Senior Advisor to the Chairman, World Economic Forum Geneva
Want more? My new leadership assessment, Be Well Lead Well® Pulse, empowers leaders to explore new questions about thriving, resilience, and wisdom in their teams and organizations, starting with themselves. If you want to learn about it, drop me an email at [email protected].