Leadership requires finding solutions to many problems, yet leaders often find themselves stuck and frustrated with the lack of creative solutions to solve them.
Why is that?
I believe the answer lies in one simple shift in our thinking. I believe this shift can be valuable to your leadership decision-making process.
If you want to discover better solutions, you must ask better questions.
This idea came up in conversations regarding business development and even faith recently. If you’re like me, you want to take action and get results quickly. However, you may struggle to slow down long enough to think better thoughts.
One action I took to shift my thinking is to create a Q&A document where I ask a specific question and then write down the specific answers that come to my attention through prayer and deep thinking.
Imagine giving just 5-15 minutes of focused time to specific problems, issues, or concerns that you have. Simply write or type out your question and then pray and think about possible answers. In our fast-paced digital world, it’s easy to move so fast that we never slow down long enough to think deeply. This is holding us back from finding better solutions to the problems that we face.
Several years ago, I was introduced to the “15-Minute Miracle” exercise where you set a timer and give yourself 15 minutes to work on something specific. It’s a powerful exercise that reveals how much we can achieve in short bursts of focused time. Now, imagine applying this concept to our problem-solving process. Write a very specific question, set your timer, and write down thoughts that come to you on your blank page.
When I was speaking to a friend recently, he told me that he learned how to design websites and do all sorts of other technical tasks by becoming very good at asking questions in Google searches. He said that when he didn’t find the answers he was looking for he would refine his questions until he did. Sometimes we’re not asking good enough questions, therefore, we’re not finding quality answers.
Here’s your challenge for today. Create a document and write down your most pressing questions for your business, life, relationships, faith, finances, or any other topic of concern you may have. Then, schedule 15-minute time blocks throughout your upcoming week(s) to focus on one question at a time. If you’re not satisfied with the answers you come up with, refine your questions. See if fine-tuning them leads to better answers that you can confidently implement.
I believe you have many more answers than you think. The power is in asking better questions to draw out better answers. You can also apply this to leading your team members. When they’re struggling to find answers, ask them better questions that allow them to think deeper about things from different angles.
You can find better solutions to the problems and challenges you’re facing. It simply requires slowing down long enough to ask better questions and give yourself the space to think deeply about them.
You can do this. I believe in you!
Until next time, make today GREAT!
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