The Mindset to Lead with Questions with Bob Tiede

Leadership mentor Bob Tiede on multiplying your impact by shifting from “Let me tell you” to “Let me ask you.”Practical question frameworks, listening skills and meeting habits that turn managers into coaches.

In this episode, Paul Corke is joined by Bob Tiede, who has served with Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) for 52 years—8 years with Cru Campus, 24 years as CEO of the Josh McDowell Ministry (a division of Cru), and now 20 years on Cru’s U.S. Leadership Development Team, developing the next generation of leaders. Bob runs LeadingWithQuestions.com (now in its 11th year, followed by leaders in 200+ countries) and is the author of 6 books, including Great Leaders Ask Questions – A Fortune 100 List, Now That’s a Great Question, and the 3rd Edition of Leading With Questions—an Amazon #1 Best Seller in Business Communication. His mission: help leaders 10× their effectiveness by moving from telling to asking.

We unpack the mindset of a question-led leader—curiosity over certainty, coaching over directing, listening over lecturing—and how this shift creates psychological safety, sharper thinking and faster learning across teams.

You’ll hear:

• Why questions beat statements for clarity, ownership and speed of learning

• The essentials of leader listening (silence, summarise, seek more)

• Go-to question types: opening, probing, clarifying, option-generating, commitment

• Turning meetings into thinking sessions (from updates to insight & decisions)

  
  

  Try this (5 question swaps for your next 1:1):

  1. From “Here’s what we’ll do.” → “What outcomes matter most—and why?”

  2. From “Any blockers?” → “What feels fuzzy or risky right now?”

  3. From “Do you agree?” → “What might I be missing?”

  4. From “That won’t work.” → “If it could work, what would have to be true?”

  5. From “Keep me posted.” → “What’s your first step, by when, and how will we know?”

     
     

  A practical masterclass in question-led leadership—so you can coach more, control less, and unlock better thinking in every conversation.