When Asking Too Many Questions Undermines Your Leadership

Paul, a high-level executive in a technology company, former university professor, and expert in his field, attended a prestigious trade conference. Paul prides himself on having a learning mindset and felt at home surrounded by leading industry experts. He was eagerly engaged, asking questions about the latest trends and technologies to broaden his understanding and take in the expertise around him.

However, a fellow attendee’s offhand comment during a break caught Paul off guard: “Your questions are great. It reminds me of my early days when everything was a learning opportunity.” They were making an assumption — that Paul was a beginner rather than a seasoned professional.

The comment triggered a moment of introspection for Paul. He realized that his approach, meant to demonstrate openness and a desire to learn, might cast shadows on his perceived experience and authority. Recalling similar reactions at various gatherings, Paul confronted a paradox: Could his learning mentality, while enriching his knowledge, inadvertently diminish his stature in the eyes of his peers?

Although it’s widely accepted that good leaders are good learners, a learning mentality can also have a darker side. If not carefully managed, it might lead to a perception of decreased effectiveness, less expertise, and lower efficiency.

The results of Paul’s 360-degree feedback provided the confirmation he needed to realize that his learning mindset, although well intentioned, had cemented a perception of a person who was indecisive, passive aggressive, and less competent. When I asked his stakeholders what that looked like, the answer was unanimous: He asks too many questions.

So, how can you keep your learning mentality from getting in the way of your growth and tarnishing others’ perception of you?

The Unintended Consequences of a Learning Mentality

Like Paul, many leaders with an ingrained learning mentality are sometimes oblivious to the signals their frequent question-asking sends. Here are three ways stakeholders might misperceive your inquisitive learning behavior:

1. Decreased effectiveness
   Effective leaders are expected to foster collaboration and productivity within their teams. When a leader’s learning approach appears to be overbearing or overly inquisitive, it can be perceived as less effective. A leader’s constant questioning can also make team members feel scrutinized and judged, leading to a defensive posture rather than an open and collaborative one and ultimately harming innovation and collaboration.

2. Undermined expertise
   Leaders need to exude confidence and demonstrate their expertise to maintain their authority in a subject matter. In corporate cultures where confidence is equated with having answers, a leader’s persistent questioning can be perceived as a lack of self-assurance in their expertise.
   In Paul’s case, his well-intentioned efforts to learn and gain insights by asking questions without providing context gave the impression that he lacked expertise. Paul tended to pose overly broad questions (for example, “What are the current trends in our industry?” or “How do you see our product evolving?”) without explaining his reasoning or connecting them to a specific challenge or opportunity. His questions lacked depth, and it’s depth that gives authority and credibility.

3. Lower efficiency
   Effective leaders must balance learning with decisive action to maintain efficiency. Constantly questioning and seeking more information can be perceived as indecisiveness and delay decision-making. Trying to understand and learn all angles might lead to analysis paralysis, harming both efficiency and career advancement.

How to Shift Others’ Perception of Your Learning Mentality

Your learning mentality should be the catalyst for your personal growth and development — not a reason for others to question your leadership. For your inquisitiveness to be viewed as an asset, it should be perceived not just as mere learning, but as a way to gather knowledge, add value, communicate effectively, and make decisions quickly.

Here are five strategies to ensure your stakeholders’ perception of you aligns with your intentions.

Communicate purpose and context

Providing context for your inquiries and sharing your learning goals can help prevent misinterpretations. Clear, strategic communication is key to managing this learning mentality challenge. Before asking questions in meetings or discussions, briefly explain your rationale and what you hope to achieve. This will position your questions as purposeful and strategic.

Instead of: Asking questions without context, providing stakeholders the opportunity to wonder about your intentions and react defensively…

Try: Always disclosing your intentions and context. For example, “I’m asking this to understand how I can align my actions with yours and ensure I consider your point of view.”

Integrate learning with execution

Effective leaders tie new skills and knowledge directly to achieving results. You must balance the pursuit of knowledge with the imperative of action. By tying what you learn to specific work your team does, you add depth to your contributions and instill a sense of confidence in your ability to deliver results.

Instead of: Discussing new knowledge and skills broadly with your team, potentially causing confusion about whether and how your team should put them to use…

Try: Focusing on specific aspects of your new knowledge or skills that are directly relevant to a project’s success. In team meetings, share insights from your learning that directly impact the project’s next steps, emphasizing how this new knowledge streamlines execution and decision-making.

Demonstrate expertise with confidence

The way you position your questions significantly impacts how people perceive your knowledge. Framing your inquiries to reflect what you know will signal confidence in your expertise. Thoughtfully craft questions to make your knowledge visible to others while helping them connect with and build upon your insights. You’ll not only demonstrate your expertise but also foster meaningful engagement and collaboration.

Instead of: Asking basic questions, such as “How do you see Y evolving over the next year?” or undermining your own expertise by prefacing remarks with “This might be a simple question, but…”

Try: Posing the question in a way that highlights your deep understanding of the subject and contributes value to the discussion. For example, “Considering trends A and B in Y, how do you see Y evolving over the next year?”

Be decisive

To reassure stakeholders of your competence and leadership capabilities, it’s critical to display confidence in your knowledge and decisiveness in your actions while signaling an open mind and inclusive leadership style. After soliciting input and exploring options, set a self-imposed deadline to act promptly. Share your thought process and the reasons behind your decisions to underscore your leadership and decisiveness, even as you continue to value learning and input from others.

Instead of: Continuously seeking more opinions and delaying decisions, causing the team to feel uncertain and question your decisiveness…

Try: Listening to the team’s input and self-imposing a deadline to make a decision. For example, announce, “I will consider all your feedback and make a final decision by Friday at noon.” Then, clearly decide the implementation strategy and explain your thought process: “After evaluating all the options and considering your valuable feedback, we will proceed with Strategy A because it aligns best with our goals and resources. Here’s how we will implement it…” This approach demonstrates your decisiveness and confidence, instilling trust and clarity within the team.

Foster a culture of shared learning

Cultivate an environment that values learning as a collective endeavor rather than a personal pursuit. This approach can mitigate perceptions of overambition or competition and enhance collaborative influence.

Encourage team learning sessions where knowledge and insights are shared openly. Recognize and reward contributions to the team’s learning, making it clear that everyone’s individual growth is valued and benefits the group.

Instead of: Asking learning questions during regular meetings, which can disrupt the flow and focus of the meeting and put team members on the defensive or cause them to question your meeting preparation…

Try: Introducing a monthly learning session where team members are encouraged to present on something new they’ve learned, related or unrelated to their current projects. You kick off the first session. For example, “I’ve recently explored how X can improve our workflows, which might seem daunting at first, but here’s how it can be practically applied…” This method promotes a supportive atmosphere for learning and sharing, enhancing the team’s cohesion and collaborative spirit.

. . .

A learning mentality is undoubtedly a valuable trait for personal and professional growth. Yet, as we’ve explored, it can have a dark side. Every strength, if overused, becomes a liability. By positioning the why behind your learning, you can shift how people perceive your most valuable leadership strength. After all, the world belongs not to those who know the most, but to those who learn the fastest. Embrace a balanced approach to learning and execution to ensure that your quest for knowledge enhances your leadership and drives success.

Copyright 2024 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate.

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