Children learn by asking questions. Students learn by asking questions. New recruits learn by asking questions. It is the simplest and most effective way of learning. People who think that they know it all no longer ask questions —why should they?— Brilliant thinkers never stop asking questions because they know that this is the best way to gain deeper insights.

If it is obvious that asking questions is such a powerful way of learning, why do we stop asking questions? For some people the reason is that they cling to their beliefs and remain certain in their assumptions —yet they often end up looking foolish. Other people are afraid that by asking questions they will look weak, ignorant or unsure. They fear that asking questions might introduce uncertainty or show them in a poor light.

In fact asking questions is a sign of strength and intelligence —not a sign of weakness or uncertainty. Great leaders constantly ask questions and are well aware that they do not have all the answers.

Asking many questions is very effective but it can make you appear to be inquisitorial and intrusive. So it is important to ask questions in a friendly and non-threatening way. Do not ask accusing questions. ‘What do you think happened?’ will probably get a better response than, ‘Are you responsible for this disaster?’ Try to pose each question in an innocent way and ensure that your body language is relaxed and amicable.Do not jab your finger or lean forward as you as put your requests.

Asking good questions, and doing so in spirit of honest information gathering and eventual collaboration, is good practice for leaders. It cultivates an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing issues that affect both their performance and that of the team. And that, in turn, creates a foundation for deepening levels of trust.

Summing-up: Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, said: “we run this company on questions, not answers”. He knows that if you keep asking questions you can keep finding better answers. Intelligent questions stimulate, provoke, inform and inspire. Questions help us to teach as well as to learn.