Episode 60: Beyond the Answer: Leading Through Questions Instead of Solutions
Episode 60
Beyond the Answer: Leading Through Questions Instead of Solutions
Episode Summary
Leaders often jump to solving problems because it feels efficient and validates their expertise, but this creates dependency rather than capability. When we ask questions instead of providing solutions, we help people develop critical thinking skills and tap into their own knowledge of the situation. This shift builds independent teams, prevents leaders from becoming bottlenecks, and frees up capacity for higher-level work.
Key Points:
The instinct to solve problems comes from a real place—it feels good to be needed, validates our expertise, and seems faster in the moment—but jumping to solutions often means we're addressing symptoms rather than root causes.
Questions like "What do you need?" transfer ownership to the person facing the challenge, helping them tap into their own knowledge and context while building their capacity to handle future problems independently.
When leaders become the go-to problem solver for everything, they create a bottleneck that prevents both personal growth and organizational capacity—if you're indispensable in your current role, you become unpromotable.
Resources
Blog Posts (see DISC page for full list of DISC blog posts):
Coaching Questions:
What do you need?
What have you already tried?
What do you think might work?
What’s stopping you from moving forward?
What would you do if I wasn’t here?
TED Talk: How to tame your advice montster
The Coaching Habit (Resource Page)
The Advice Trap (Book Review)
The Coaching Habit (Book Review)
Related Episodes
Develop People, Drive Results: Why Employee Growth Matters More than Ever
Stop Hovering, Start Leading: Lead with Confidence by Delegating Smarter
Listen
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About Jacquie:
Jacquie is the founder of Leadership and Life by Kayric Inc, where she blends the best of teaching, leadership, and the occasional The West Wing reference to help non-profits and small business build strong leaders and healthy teams. Utilizing DISC and The Five Behaviours of a Cohesive team, combined with teaching knowledge and experience, Jacquie strives to empower leaders with the skills no one taught them and to create teams who want to work together.
Formerly a junior high teacher (who loves teenagers), Jacquie brings a decade of classroom wisdom, ten years corporate training experience, a growth mindset, and a sprinkle of mild rebellion to her dynamic approach.
In her free time, Jacquie channels her passion for community improvement by volunteering with school councils, serving on non-profit boards, and generally finding ways to make her corner of the world a better place. You can also find her on the side of a soccer pitch, at Remedy Café or in her scrapbook room.
