Unlocking Hidden Wisdom – The Power of Asking the Right Questions

How many missed opportunities have you walked past because you didn’t ask the right question??How much wisdom has been sitting right in front of you, untapped, unheard, and ignored?

Leadership isn’t just about making decisions, it’s about making?the right?decisions. And to do that, you need to tap into the perspectives, experiences, and insights of the people around you.

But here’s the problem:?Too many leaders?think?they’re good at asking questions, but in reality, they’re only scratching the surface. They ask?safe, predictable?questions and in return, they get?filtered, surface-level answers.

Enter?Ask: Tap Into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You for Unexpected Breakthroughs in Leadership and Life?by Jeff Wetzler.

This book challenges everything we assume about communication, decision-making, and leadership. It provides?a structured approach to asking better questions, the kind that lead to?real breakthroughs.

If you want to?unlock deeper insights, build stronger teams, and make better decisions, this book?needs to be on your 2025 reading list.

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The Five Steps of the Ask Approach?

Jeff Wetzler introduces the?Ask Approach?, a simple yet powerful framework designed to?uncover the hidden wisdom in those around you.

These steps aren’t just theoretical, they’re backed by research and real-world leadership applications.

Choose Curiosity

Great leaders?don’t assume, they inquire.?They actively seek out perspectives different from their own.

Make It Safe

People won’t share their real thoughts unless they feel?safe to do so.?Leaders must create environments where?honesty isn’t punished, but valued.

Pose Quality Questions

Not all questions are created equal. The best ones?challenge assumptions, spark reflection, and invite deeper thinking.

Listen to Learn

Most people listen?to respond, not?to understand.?Truly great leaders make listening their superpower.

Reflect and Reconnect

Asking isn’t enough. You have to?act on what you hear?and circle back to show people their insights mattered.

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Real-World Application: Leadership at Unicomer OECS

When I became?Managing Director of Unicomer OECS,?I knew the traditional leadership playbook wouldn’t work.

We were operating in an?increasingly volatile market, consumer expectations were shifting, economic conditions were uncertain, and digital transformation was rapidly changing how we did business.

I could have led in the conventional way, making top-down decisions, enforcing policies, and expecting compliance.

But I knew that the real answers weren’t?in a corporate strategy document, they were?inside the minds of my team.

So, I?leaned into the Ask Approach?.

I chose curiosity?– Instead of assuming I knew what was best, I started asking different questions.

I made it safe?– We created open forums, where even the most junior team members could share ideas without fear of judgment.

I posed better questions?– Instead of asking,?“How can we increase sales?”, we asked,?“What’s stopping customers from buying?”

I listened, really listened.?And what I heard changed everything.

I reflected and acted?– We didn’t just listen, we made real, strategic changes based on what we learned.

The impact? Increased customer engagement, we started designing our offers based on real customer insights, not assumptions.

Improved team morale, people felt?heard, valued, and empowered?to contribute ideas.

Faster problem-solving, teams at all levels felt ownership over solutions.

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By simply?asking better questions, we unlocked?game-changing?insights that transformed how we operated.

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From Asking to Unlocking – The Leadership Shift We Need

Jeff Wetzler makes it clear, most leaders aren’t tapping into the full intelligence of their teams.

People know things you don’t.

People see risks and opportunities that aren’t on your radar.

People have ideas that could transform your business, if you let them.

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Leadership Insight: One of the biggest mistakes I see leaders make??They assume silence means agreement.

But in reality,?silence often means discomfort.?It means people?don’t feel safe enough?to challenge assumptions.

The Ask Approach??breaks that cycle.?It shifts leadership from:

Decision-making in isolation → Decision-making through collaboration

Top-down enforcement → Bottom-up empowerment

Guesswork → Data-driven, insight-backed action

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The Most Powerful Questions You Can Ask Your Team

If you’re serious about?unlocking the wisdom of those around you, start by asking?better questions.

What’s one obstacle that’s slowing us down – but we aren’t talking about?

What’s the biggest misconception I have about our customers?

If you had my role for a week, what’s the first thing you’d change?

What’s one thing I could do differently to lead more effectively?

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Challenge:?Try asking just one of these questions in your next meeting.?Then listen, not to reply, but to truly understand.

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Why?Ask?Should Be on Your 2025 Reading List

This book?isn’t just about asking better questions, it’s about unlocking the full intelligence of your team.

If you’re serious about making smarter decisions, fostering real innovation, and leading in a way that creates breakthroughs,?Ask?belongs on your reading list.

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Jeff Wetzler; Let’s Talk!

Jeff Wetzler , so many leaders believe they already ask the right questions, but most don’t.

What’s the biggest?self-deception?leaders have when it comes to the Ask Approach?? And how do they overcome it?

Would love to hear your insights on how leaders can embed these principles in their daily leadership.

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Join the Conversation – How Do You Unlock Hidden Wisdom?

What’s the best leadership question you’ve ever been asked, or asked someone else??Drop it in the comments!

If this resonated,?hit like, comment, and share, let’s push this leadership conversation forward.

Follow me and?#TheExceptionCode?for bold, high-impact leadership insights.

#Leadership #AskApproach #GrowthMindset #EffectiveCommunication #StrategicLeadership

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