In this insightful discussion, Robert Steven Kaplan, a Senior Fellow and Professor Emeritus at Harvard Business School, emphasizes the art of asking the right questions to boost leadership effectiveness. He outlines how leaders can clarify their key priorities and ensure their daily actions align with overarching goals. Kaplan advocates for vulnerability in leadership and the importance of 'clean slate thinking' to adapt strategies. His approach underscores that self-inquiry is vital for enhancing decision-making and fostering team collaboration.
13:21
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Ask Tough Questions
Effective leaders excel at asking tough questions.
Frame better questions to get the answers you need for decisions.
insights INSIGHT
Symptoms vs. Causes
Problems faced by leaders are often symptoms, not causes.
Stepping back and asking questions helps identify the root cause.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Time Management
Track your time to see how it aligns with your top priorities.
Address any mismatch between time spent and key priorities.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Critical Questions for Becoming a More Effective Leader and Reaching Your Potential
Robert Steven Kaplan
In this book, Robert Steven Kaplan presents a process for asking key questions that help leaders diagnose problems, adjust their strategies, and enhance their career effectiveness. The guide includes areas of inquiry such as articulating vision and priorities, managing time effectively, providing timely feedback, developing succession plans, and evaluating leadership style. Through real-life situations and a simple yet powerful framework, Kaplan helps leaders craft new strategies to stay successful in their roles.
What makes a leader truly effective? Is it about strategic vision, time management, confidence?
He explains how to frame better questions to get the answers you need to make decisions. He also discusses how to use questions to clarify your key priorities and how to make sure you’re then spending your time in service of them.
HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week.
HBR On Leadership 