Leading Clowns?!

“I work with a bunch of clowns!”

Have you ever heard someone say this? It’s known to be a derogatory term that implies his or her teammates are a joke.

Many of you don’t know this…but many years ago I had the pleasure of working with an actual clown. He had worked with Ringling Brothers for years then started a road show called Pierrot and Pirouette, a theater piece about the relationship between a frustrated ballerina and a successful, but lonely street performer. I played the ballerina.

The most interesting part of this was in getting to know the ‘clown’. There was a melancholy air about him and occasional sarcasm. Very different than what I expected of a clown. This was most amusing to watch when he would forget he was still in makeup and made a wise crack. Watching the other person’s expression was priceless.

Where are you going with this Heather??

I’m not sure why this blast from the past came to mind. But there IS a point…because it led me to think about the importance of getting to know the people you work with. Of taking the time to build the trust and have an honest interest in getting to know who they really are.

This allows you to deepen the connection and elevate the results of working together.

Leadership is often about asking the right questions. The questions to better understand each other. The questions that open the mind or the ones that stimulate create solutions. (and then of course to listening to the answer!)

When a leader asks a question, it encourages thought and initiative. It engages. Far different than a blanket directive, don’t you agree? Directives can create followers and questions create leaders. Confident leaders aren’t afraid to lift and support others. They aren’t even afraid to encourage dissent. ?They know that what underlies dissent was already there and that getting it out in the open generates options, answers, and innovative ideas.

We talk about this in our new book Where’s the Office? Moving Today’s Leaders from What IS to What CAN BE. You can get a copy here or join us at the launch party on Wed Jan 5th!

But in the meantime some ideas to get you started. Remember that the intention is most important- why are you asking the question? To better understand. To learn something. Not because you’re trying to get them to see your point.

Best questions to customize to your situation:

1.?????What do you think about that? Or Why do you think that happened?

2.?????What are all the options?

3.?????How can we solve this? Or Make this better?

4.?????What do you need from me to make that happen?

5.?????Is your gut telling you anything else you haven’t mentioned yet? I’d love to hear.

There are so many more questions I could have added here but I’d like to leave room to hear yours. What questions have you asked that resulted in a response that surprised and delighted you? Add them to the comments. I can’t wait to hear!

Connect with Heather here on LI or email her at [email protected].?