Just Ask Leadership: Why Great Managers Always Ask the Right Questions - Paperback

by Gary B. Cohen (Author)

John T. Chain, Jr., rose from a second lieutenantto four-star general and led ournational missile defense program.

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

Ask Gary Cohen what these remarkable leadershave in common and his answer will bestraightforward: They use questions to generatefresh ideas, inspire committed action, andbuild an army of forward-thinking leaders.

In Just Ask Leadership, Cohen steers you awayfrom the all-too-common idea that if youdon't assert yourself with strong statements, you will not be respected. On the contrary, statistics prove that 95 percent of employeesprefer to be asked questions rather than betold what to do. Involving employees andcolleagues in decision making processesbuilds an environment rich with energy, excitement, and innovative problem solving.

Just Ask Leadership outlines not only specificquestions to ask in certain contexts, but alsohow to implement question-based leadershipas a whole. Learn how to

• Spend more time onlong-term goals--and lesson short-term crises
• Build a culture of accountability
• Create unity and trust throughoutyour workforce
• Steer decision making to the mostappropriate parties
• Develop rapport while instillingrespect

When you ask questions, you show respect--and you are respected in turn. It is thatsimple.

A combination of Cohen's proven expertiseand interviews with nearly 100 highly effectiveleaders, Just Ask Leadership explains howto harness the power of questions to makeyour organization more competitive, moreprofitable, and a better place to work.

Back Jacket

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

Author Biography

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.