Just Ask Leadership: Why Great Managers Always Ask the Right Questions [Hardcover]

Gary B. Cohen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 6, 2009

John T. Chain, Jr., rose from a second lieutenant to four-star general and led our national missile defense program.

Mike Harper led ConAgra Foods from $636 million to $20 billion in 20 years and increased its stocks value 150 times over.

Ask Gary Cohen what these remarkable leaders have in common and his answer will be straightforward: They use questions to generate fresh ideas, inspire committed action, and build an army of forward-thinking leaders.

In Just Ask Leadership, Cohen steers you away from the all-too-common idea that if you don’t assert yourself with strong statements, you will not be respected. On the contrary, statistics prove that 95 percent of employees prefer to be asked questions rather than be told what to do. Involving employees and colleagues in decision making processes builds an environment rich with energy, excitement, and innovative problem solving.

Just Ask Leadership outlines not only specific questions to ask in certain contexts, but also how to implement question-based leadership as a whole. Learn how to

• Spend more time on long-term goals—and less on short-term crises
• Build a culture of accountability
• Create unity and trust throughout your workforce
• Steer decision making to the most appropriate parties
• Develop rapport while instilling respect

When you ask questions, you show respect —and you are respected in turn. It is that simple.

A combination of Cohen’s proven expertise and interviews with nearly 100 highly effective leaders, Just Ask Leadership explains how to harness the power of questions to make your organization more competitive, more profitable, and a better place to work.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

How do you become a great leader?
The answer’s simple: Just Ask.

The world is filled with people who have all the right answers. What it needs are more people who have all the right questions. Leadership guru Gary Cohen explains how to empower yourself and your people by presenting open-ended questions designed to engage and inspire. Just Ask Leadership provides the insight and skills you need to strategically “question” your organization to greatness.

“Gary’s book can raise everyone’s awareness of the social and intellectual power of asking rather than telling.”
—Tom Pritzker, CEO, Hyatt Corporation

“A thoroughly engaging, well-researched book that has changed the way I run my business.”
—Kayle Neeley, CEO, EZ Payroll & Staffing, and former Vice President, Norwegian Cruise Line

“Gary’s concept of Just Ask Leadership is new and illuminating. It is what we do as leaders.”
—Matt Wisk, President, My Points, Inc.

“For innovative thinking and getting a new slant on an old problem, Gary Cohen is incomparable.”
—Marcy Syms, CEO, Syms Corporation

“Gary’s approach applies to schools as well as businesses. Administrators can empower teachers and teachers can empower students simply by asking thoughtful, open-ended questions.”
—Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education

About the Author

Gary Cohen, president and cofounder of ACI Telecentrics, Inc., expanded the company from two people to 2,200 employees, took the company public, and reached $32 million in revenues at the company’s peak. ACI grew at an average compounded rate of over 50 percent for almost 13 years. Currently, he is partner and founder of CO2 Partners, LLC, in Minneapolis, where he works as an executive coach and consultant.
Eric Vrooman is a freelance writer living in Minneapolis. He has taught creative writing at Tulane University and Gustavus Adolphus College.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (August 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071621776
• ISBN-13: 978-0071621779
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 0.8 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #750,390 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gary B. Cohen
Founder and Executive Coach, CO2 Partners LLC

Like many successful entrepreneurs, Gary Cohen co-founded a call-center company in 1987 with just $4,000 and a limitless supply of enthusiasm. Not knowing what they didn't know, Gary and his business partner hired a consultant to guide them through the start-up phase. What a shock! The consultant charged more money than the two partners were making together. They bit the bullet and swallowed, and the rest is history. ACI Telecentrics, Inc. grew from 2 to 2,200 employees.

Of course, ACI's success was not entirely the result of the consultant's advice. Gary attributes the bulk of it to question-based leadership - not being afraid to ask when he didn't have all the answers. In the process of learning to ask, he empowered coworkers to make decisions and created new ranks of leaders throughout the organization.

Now, after eighteen years of leading his company in an industry that went from "go-go-go" to "no-go," Gary coaches other executives based on his experience throughout the entire corporate lifecycle. And his new company, CO2 Partners (based in Minneapolis), has become another fast-growing success.

City Business, a Minneapolis/St. Paul publication, recognized Gary as one of its "40 Under 40" award winners for business accomplishments and community contributions. Gary has served on the board of nine different organizations, ranging from non-profits to financial institutions. And, he's frequently asked to contribute to articles on leadership, executive, and talent development. In the past year, he has been quoted in USA Today, The Washington Post, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal Europe & Asia Editions, Chief Learning Officer, Investor's Business Daily, Training Magazine, and many other HR, training and industrial publications.

Gary received his undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota and attended Harvard Business School Owner/President Management Program. He also participated in several leadership programs (including the Covey Leadership Center and Disney University) and was nominated as a Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Compares very favorably to best know management guides October 30, 2009

By Jeffrey A. Bradt

Format:Hardcover

In my 20+ years in managment, I've read many of the best sellers, including some excellent ones. I'd put "The Fifth Discipline", "Good to Great", "In Search of Excellence", "First Break all the Rules" and almost anything by Jack Welch near the top. I've also read most of Deming, Juran, Crosby, Sherkenbach, and Victor Vroom. You probably recognize Deming, Juran and Crosby. Sherkenbach, also a TQM guru, led Ford Motors' quality program. Vroom wrote "Work and Motivation" back in the 60's -- it is THE seminal work on employee motivation and is still available. If you haven't read it and you have any interest in the subject, you need to.

Of all of these works, only "First Break All The Rules" is as readable as "Just Ask Leadership". A couple of hours of light reading gets you some memorable and practical advice. I was responsible for strategic planning for an 800 employee, $300 million/year organization so I think I know that subject as well as anyone. Chapter 1 of "Just Ask" is as good a guide to strategic planning as I've ever read.

I read Bock's review and I understand his criticism about the loose structure. Unlike many of the best sellers mentioned above, "Just Ask" doesn't boil all of managmement down to a neat half dozen bromides ("stick to the knitting" "loose-tight management" etc). This is not a dispargement of the best sellers. I like those books and I have often found those bromides helpful, despite their triteness. But, "Just Ask" is ultimately about just one thing -- How would your management practices be changed if you started all of your problem solving with a series of questions? You could spend three hours contemplating that question or you could read "Just Ask". I think you'll find reading "Just Ask" to be a much better use of your time.

Yes, "Just Ask" is, ultimately, a one trick pony. But, it's a good trick. One well worth learning -- and one that "Just Ask" teaches well.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be required reading September 2, 2009

By John Chancellor TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Unfortunately, so many of us grew up in a command and control environment. Our parents told us what to do. The same thing with school, the teachers told us what to do. Our first employment probably continued the same pattern. So by the time we had risen to any sort of managerial position we were totally indoctrinated in the habit of trying to lead by telling rather than asking.

And we have been done a real disservice.

"Would you rather be asked for your input or told what to do?" According to a survey conducted by the author, 95% of leaders preferred to be asked questions rather than told what to do. But "these same leaders give instructions 58% of the time rather than ask."

"If you want to lead and motivate others, questions are the answer. If we tell our coworkers how to do their jobs, we are essentially limiting their options and stifling their initiative. We're not leading." But, as you will learn from this book, all questions are not created equal. The right question can empower, inspire and challenge. The wrong question - a gotcha you question - enhance the status of the asker but demoralize and create distrust among those being asked.

This book is all about teaching you the right questions to ask and the correct way to ask them. The book is a series of questions in five separate categories. 1) How to improve the vision of the organization 2)How to ensure accountability 3) How to build unity and cooperation 4) How to create better decisions and 5) How to motivate to action. In each chapter there are a series of questions and discussion about those questions.

The questions should not be taken as a strict guide. The entire book is designed to change the mindset from command and control to leadership through asking the right questions in the correct manner.

The book is filled with stories that illustrate the point. The book is short and very easy to read, the discussion centered around each question is short and to the point.

The forward was written by Harry Beckwith. If you like his work, you will love this book. The style and approach of Beckwith is very similar to Cohen's.

While the book is intended for business, the concepts work equally well in education, family and personal relationships. People would much rather be asked than told.

You will need to study the book and internalize the ideas. Changing the mindset to an "ask instead of tell" will take time. But it will be well worth it. Your effectiveness will improve. "When leaders use more questions than commands, the organization's culture flourishes."

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to be more effective in dealing with others.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Plain Speaking for Amazing Results - So Good I Bought 20 Copies October 9, 2009

By Mark McGregor

Format:Hardcover

This is one of those books that at one level seems to state the obvious. Look beyond it and you will find that it is jam packed with nuggets of useful information and practical advice. It is extremely well written and is one of those rare books, that once I had started I could not put down.

Who could have thought that so much common sense could be packed into just 5 chapters. The book is not at all theoretical and instead is rooted very firmly on the practical, can do side of life. Anyone who follows along with the book and ask the questions posed of themselves can't help but see and make big improvements in their business life.

I particularly liked the case study examples and the easy to follow approach.

The depth of the book, as the title implies is how to ask questions and what questions to ask, some of the questions seem simple, but as the examples show, the results are amazing. Each chapter looks at a different aspect of leadership and provides a list of questions that you can ask to improve, it then provides details and insights into why the question is used and how to understand the implications of the answers.

I guess the best way to summarise the book for you is to say that having read it I bought 20 copies to give out to my friend and clients!