Inquire Strategically to Maximize Influence: Choose Appropriate Inquiries
In the realm of leadership, the ability to influence others is paramount. According to Chris Musselwhite and Tammie Plouffe's article "To Have the Most Impact, Ask the Right Questions," published in HBR 2012/11, this influence can be honed by the types of questions leaders ask and the styles they adopt.
Open-ended questions, for instance, encourage dialogue, creativity, and collective problem-solving by prompting team members to elaborate on ideas and perspectives. Reflective questions help individuals and teams think critically about their actions, goals, and outcomes, fostering self-awareness and continuous improvement. Probing questions delve deeper into issues or challenges to reveal underlying causes or opportunities, while reciprocal questions, a key strategy in enhancing influence, involve leaders acknowledging and responding thoughtfully to others’ input, thus building deeper trust and cooperation.
Leadership styles also play a significant role in influencing. Autocratic leaders exercise full control, making decisions unilaterally, which can be useful when quick, decisive action is needed but may limit team creativity and engagement. Democratic leaders, on the other hand, encourage input from team members, reward creativity, and foster collaboration, enhancing morale and team commitment by making people feel heard.
Effective leaders, however, often adopt a mix of styles, adapting to the needs of their teams and the situation at hand. Transformational leaders inspire teams with a compelling vision, motivating through innovation and personal growth, and driving people to exceed expectations. Transactional leaders rely on clear rewards and consequences to manage performance, focusing on structure and clear expectations. Servant leaders prioritise serving team needs, building trust and empowerment, which enhances reciprocal loyalty and influence. Authentic leaders build influence through genuine self-expression and consistency, fostering trust and stronger relationships. Laissez-faire leaders provide autonomy, allowing individuals to lead their own work; influence comes from trust and empowerment but requires capable team members.
To enhance leadership influence, leaders can practice reciprocity, offering support without immediate expectation of return, which builds strong reciprocal relationships, fostering trust and collaboration. Effective leaders also balance intrinsic motivation (personal satisfaction, meaning) with extrinsic motivation (rewards, recognition) and affiliative motivation (relationship building). Cross-functional exposure, a culture of feedback, mentorship & coaching, and opportunities to lead are other strategies that strengthen influence.
In conclusion, effective leadership influence arises from combining thoughtfully crafted questions that promote reflection and collaboration with leadership styles that align with team needs and situational demands. By integrating strategies like reciprocity, balanced motivation, and continuous development, leaders can deepen trust, inspire commitment, and drive positive change, ultimately achieving collective goals.
In the context of business, leaders can enhance their influence by asking open-ended questions that encourage dialogue, creativity, and collective problem-solving. Effective leaders also demonstrate this influence by adopting a blend of leadership styles, such as democratic, transformation, transactional, servant, authentic, and laissez-faire, depending on the needs of their team and the specific situation.
