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Humble Inquiry: The best kind

Edgar H. Schein’s excellent book “Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling” reminds us that good questioning often requires that we set aside ego.

What’s really going on when we “have no time” to question?

We’re running away from our own thoughts during these “too busy” days. If you’re afraid of the void, here’s why to fill it with a question.

Here are 5 questions a leader shouldn’t ask

In this post, which ran recently on the Harvard Business Review site, I list five questions that, when asked by leaders, can actually do more harm than good.

Daniel Pink: “A uniquely human skill”

“What does it mean to learn? Most of us eventually realize that genuine learning is less about delivering the right answers and more about asking the right questions. That’s why BEAUTIFUL QUESTIONS IN THE CLASSROOM is so important. Inquiry develops self-direction and deepens curiosity. And in an age of automation, questioning is a uniquely human skill, one we should foster in school and in life. This book is an essential read for educators at every level.”

—Daniel Pink, New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive, and A Whole New Mind
Adam Grant: “Full of instantly useful answers”

“Why don’t we ask enough questions? Why do we ask so many bad questions? And how can we ask the kinds of great questions that make us better at leading, deciding, connecting and creating? The Book of Beautiful Questions isn’t just a thought-provoking book on questions—it’s also full of instantly useful answers.”

—Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals, Give and Take, and Option B with Sheryl Sandberg
Lisa Bodell: “A must-have skill for success”

“In The Book of Beautiful Questions Warren Berger shows us the incredible power that inquiry has to approach problems differently and to unearth powerful, innovative solutions. In an increasingly complicated world, knowing how to ask provocative questions is a must-have skill for success.”

—Lisa Bodell,
bestselling author of Why Simple Wins, and CEO of FutureThink
Greg McKeown: “The difference between a busy life and a life that really matters”

“Use Warren Berger and his latest book as a guide for asking not only more beautiful questions but also more important ones. It may well make the difference between a busy life and a life that really matters.”

—Greg McKeown, New York Times bestselling author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
Frank Sesno: “Warren Berger raises questioning to an art form”

“Warren Berger raises questioning to an art form. The Book of Beautiful Questions is a vital read for anyone who wants to excel at creativity, leadership, decision-making and interpersonal skills. Berger offers a symphony of questions that will inspire you to become your own maestro of inquiry.”

—Frank Sesno, former CNN anchor and author ofAsk More
Marshall Goldsmith: “Be a better thinker, partner, problem-solver, and leader”

“Being an effective leader is not so much about having all the answers as asking the right questions. In The Book of Beautiful Questions, Warren Berger shows why questioning is critical to success—and provides hundreds of questions that can help you be a better thinker, partner, problem-solver, and leader.”

—Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times bestselling author of Triggers and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
Dorie Clark: “A transformational resource you’ll go back to again and again”

“The Book of Beautiful Questions gives us the power to re-imagine our lives. For those who seek to make better decisions and lead more effectively, it’s a transformational resource you’ll go back to again and again.”

—Dorie Clark, author of Entrepreneurial You and Stand Out
A.J. Jacobs: “Question every aspect”

“In this wise book, Warren Berger shows us how crucial it is to question every aspect of our lives, from business to school to our choice of toothpaste. My question: Why wouldn’t you read this book?”

—A.J. Jacobs, New York Times best-selling author and Esquire columnist
Eric Ries: “Figuring out how to ask”

“In the old economy, it was all about having the answers. But in today’s dynamic, lean economy, it’s more about asking the right questions. A More Beautiful Question is about figuring out how to ask, and answer, the questions that can lead to new opportunities and growth.”

—Eric Ries, New York Times best-selling author of The Lean Startup
Guy Kawasaki: “Real men ask questions”

“The genesis of many great startups is the simple question, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if…?’ Berger helps you understand the power of questions to change the world. Real men ask questions, they don’t spout out answers.”

—Guy Kawasaki, author of APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur, and former chief evangelist at Apple

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- A Tool for These Uncertain Times
  It is especially important in these times to embrace a “questioning mindset”—an attitude or disposition that is curious, open to new information, and willing to ask challenging questions.
- What should I read? What should I watch?
  These are unusual times; everyone I know is doing a lot more reading and binge-watching than usual and they’re all (myself included) looking for suggestions.
- People in the news using beautiful questions
  When you’re a questionologist, you can’t help spotting beautiful questions in your reading. Below are a few I found by chance in the news.
- The Best Networking Advice
  My recent article on questioning as a quiet person’s superpower struck a chord with author Susan Cain who called it “The Best Networking Advice I’ve Seen Yet.”
- How asking questions at work can help you
  You might be hesitant to ask questions of your bosses. But it’s important to do so because it enables you to be better at your job.
- 36 Questions
  The 36 questions used in Arthur Aron’s experiment are wonderful examples of open-ended, deep questio...
- The AMBQ playlist—50+ “question” songs
  A Spotify list of more than 50 songs that have to do with questioning—and that I actually like.
- Einstein and questioning
  Exploring the inquiring mind of one of our greatest thinkers
- Why do kids ask so many questions—and why do they stop?
  Thoughts on kids and questioning from TED Conference founder and thought leader Richard Saul Wurman
- The power of “Vuja De”
  Can a shift in perspective help us to become better questioners? We’ve all heard of déjà vu. This is...
- Shannon McArthur
  Sitting with a question, as you say, can be especially [...]
- Lindsay Woods
  I play a lot of these songs at shows and [...]
- Where Do All the Questions Go? – in All things
  […] in questions. One major factor is that we do [...]
- James W. Sanderson
  Warren: Thanks... another insightful post on the imperative need to ask [...]
- James W. Sanderson
  Warren... Thanks for this post. John Seely Brown's insights are [...]

Latest on the blog...

A Tool for These Uncertain Times

It is especially important in these times to embrace a “questioning mindset”—an attitude or disposition that is curious, open to new information, and willing to ask challenging questions.

What should I read? What should I watch?

These are unusual times; everyone I know is doing a lot more reading and binge-watching than usual and they’re all (myself included) looking for suggestions.

People in the news using beautiful questions

When you’re a questionologist, you can’t help spotting beautiful questions in your reading. Below are a few I found by chance in the news.

The Best Networking Advice

My recent article on questioning as a quiet person’s superpower struck a chord with author Susan Cain who called it “The Best Networking Advice I’ve Seen Yet.”

How asking questions at work can help you

You might be hesitant to ask questions of your bosses. But it’s important to do so because it enables you to be better at your job.

Questolutions: The Power of Questions to Get Things Done

Why do questions motivate us more than resolutions?

These 5 questions are “creativity killers.” If you find you’re asking yourself any of them, just stop.

The questions we ask ourselves about creativity also can undermine creative confidence or cause us to misdirect our efforts. Here are five questions that kill creativity…