Asking questions is a good way of making them think it was their idea, also, it’s a great way to understand why they might be doing things in a way that seems wrong to you. Dale Carnegie’s lesson on leadership.
But in many occasions you as a leader (and as a team) have no clue what decision to take, plus striving for consensus and everyone holding hands happily can lead to groupthink.
It’s better to create the opportunity to ask questions in order to have all the ideas come out in the open and then pick the best idea available.
Look for smart, perfectionists, overachievers, people that will tell you what to do to make the company/product/services better. People who were great academically tend to have these qualities in my experience. This doesn’t mean people with formal education can’t be this way, but outstanding academic performance is a good way to spot them.
Works better than telling people what to do or even giving advice. People will end up doing the things that are good for them when they are inspired or when they finally figure things out. Actions speak louder than words. Be an inspiration.
They’re an endless source of inspiration. Listen hard and use negative feedback as a challenge.
Remember what your core mission and values are, don’t follow trends if they don’t align, it’s more to maintain and it can ruin your product.
If there’s a wound, first stop the bleeding, then you will be able to think more clearly in times of crisis.
Focus only on what’s more important and try to deliver the best of it possible as this is usually what your users/customers truly care about.
Before embarking on any new project, make sure to think through of all the obstacles and aim to solve the hardest ones first if it’s not possible to establish line of sight first but it might be worth giving it a try. Fail fast.
Sometimes this means making sure you’re not liable or breaking any laws. Know the laws before you embark on new adventures.
Some innovative companies have gone ahead and done it anyway and when they succeed they make laws change. Sometimes lobbying in smaller states can be a powerful (and cheap) tool to push innovation through.
Where others see problems you can find business models by providing solutions.
Don’t be a complainer, seize the opportunity. Be proactive.