innovative companies

Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why and other books says that “asking questions doesn’t mean you’re the stupidest person in the room; it usually means you’re the only one brave enough to speak up.”

Some of the reasons why we aren’t asking enough questions even when we don’t understand the topic of discussion are the beliefs/thoughts/internal questions we have going in our head:

By asking this question(s), will it make me look “stupid”?

Would I look like the person who doesn’t understand this topic if I ask this question?

It’s actually not relevant to me at all so why ask this question.

I am the “expert” or “smartest” person in this room. Why ask questions and make myself look like a beginner?

Do I have the “authority” to ask questions in this group or in this context?

Airbnb’s co-founder Joe Gebbia stated that the company’s early days and exponential growth were actually fueled by a series of questions. Warren Berger’s book “A More Beautiful Question The power of inquiry to spark breakthrough ideas” covers at length how Airbnb’s cofounders, Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky went from jobless young San Franciscans with a decent apartment to leaders of the sharing economy. An excerpt from Warren’s book covering that section can be found here.

When you closely observe innovation at companies, research shows that innovative business leaders typically share certain qualities as mentioned in the “The DNA of the World’s Most Innovative Companies.” They are always asking questions, experimenting, observing and networking. While building on past successes, they keep the doors open to future innovation.

Hal Gregersen, INSEAD Senior Affiliate Professor of Leadership and Director of the Learning to Lead executive education programme says innovation starts with a question.

Tag: innovative companies

Asking questions to understand better

Grooming innovative companies

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Nirmal Thapa