Great article on ideou.ou can and should have all the answers, then you’re both wrong and significantly constraining the capacity of the organization to be creative.” —IDEO CEO Tim Brown
In our most recent Creative Confidence Serieschat, IDEO U Dean Suzanne Gibbs Howard sat down with IDEO CEO Tim Brown for a conversation on Tim’s evolving thoughts on creative leadership and his focus on asking better questions.
As Tim Brown says, old school models of leadership are not enough anymore. Top-down mandates and telling people what to do doesn’t lead to the creativity and innovation that allows modern companies to make an impact. Instead, leadership is about generating, embracing, and executing bold ideas—“even when the path is not clear.” And that all starts with asking questions.
Why Questions Matter
“If you think as a leader you can and should have all the answers, then you’re both wrong and significantly constraining the capacity of the organization to be creative,” Tim says. Even worse, if you’re waiting for teams to come to you for answers and decisions, you’re leading them down a path that’s neither productive nor creative enough. Instead, it’s your job to ask the right questions, to help teams frame the challenge they’re designing for, and make sure they’re considering the end user and their needs. “Not only does it stop you from assuming you have to have the answer, it leaves the space for the individual or team you’re working with to express their own creativity and their own innovation,” he says.
You can also use questions to encourage your teams to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. “The thing that teams are often the least good at is knowing how ambitious to be, or even knowing where to look,” Tim says. “And what you do have as a leader is perspective. So if you’re thoughtful and can offer the right kinds of questions, then you can help teams look in the right place, and offer them the right perspective. And that’s a very powerful form of leadership.”
“The best leaders are not coming up with answers, they are coming up with great questions.” TIM BROWN
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