A leader who empowers and inspires …

… is a leader

who shows up, speaks up, and steps up.

who asks “How can I help you be more successful?”

who models vulnerability, humility, and courage.

who wants to know what she might be missing.

who knows when he has to withdraw and let go.

who demonstrates the value of both work and play.

who focuses on what her people are doing that’s working.

who says it as it is and who wants to hear it as it is.

who finishes with: “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Questions you need to ask as a leader

Leading yourself, leading others, and leading change are the three main responsibilities of any leader. Easier said than done, of course. For you to be successful in these areas you need quite a few ingredients. Industry savvy, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, influencing skills, courage, credibility, accountability, resilience…. I could go on for quite some time. 

A different way of looking at successful leadership is to formulate questions that a leader should ask. Eleven examples out of the many great questions are:

1 How can I help my staff be more successful?
2 How can I and we best serve our clients and stakeholders?
3 What am I typically allergic to and how can I grow in these areas?
4 Who should I surround myself with to compensate my own weaknesses? 
5 How can I more successfully stress-test my assumptions and my decisions? 
6 How can I help myself / staff more successfully embrace ambiguity, change?
7 How can I ensure all ideas are heard, that the best ideas are coming forward?
8 What would my people say about me if they felt totally free to speak? 
9 What may I be regularly missing, misperceiving, exaggerating, forcing? 
10 What is my leadership philosophy and have I shared it with my people?
11 How will my ideas and proposed changes impact the organization's culture?

Questions can help develop people, re-frame issues, re-direct energy and attention, acknowledge and encourage people, and open long closed blinds. 
Any questions that you wish to add?