Do you ask good questions? Great leaders are skilled inquisitors. John Maxwell even wrote a book called Good Leaders Ask Great Questions: Your Foundation for Successful Leadership.

After reading Maxwell’s book, I practiced asking all sorts of questions. I figured if I asked enough, I’d eventually discover some great ones.

I have received varied feedback, ranging from people telling me I ask great questions to some feeling interrogated. I have made inquiries that initiate thought-provoking responses and engaging dialogue, and some that make people defensive.

With all my great and not-so-great questions, there is one I have yet to master. The simple phrase, “Will you help me?” remains one of the most difficult.

Asking for help can feel like a near-impossible task as we falsely believe it displays weakness or ignorance. In reality, it shows confidence, strength, trust, humility, and a desire to grow.

We all need help, and people want to be helpful. As leaders, we need to provide others with the satisfaction of helping us. Benjamin Franklin said, “He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another than he whom you yourself have obliged.”

Questions, the ones we ask or don’t ask, influence growth.