In an era defined by relentless meetings and the pressure for immediate answers, the most counterintuitive leadership tool is a well-framed question. That is the central argument of Steve Mostyn’s new book, “Why Great Leaders Ask Great Questions.”
Mostyn, an associate fellow at Oxford’s Said Business School, argues that average managers solve problems, but true leaders unlock hidden value by asking questions that challenge assumptions and empower teams.
The book is a practical field guide built around seven core reflective questions, starting with “How do I reflect?” Mostyn distinguishes between passive thinking and deliberate reflective practice.
He encourages leaders to use a leadership journey line to chart emotional highs and lows and says keeping a daily journal is essential. He warns that clever people are often excellent at self-justification, so genuine reflection requires honesty.
He urges leaders to stop pretending that politics does not exist in organizations. On professional networks, he flips the usual script and says the question is not “What can my network do for me?” Instead, says Mostyn, ask: “What do people ask me for help with?” and “What do I want to be asked for?”
