Why Great Leaders Ask Great Questions

Aspiring leaders are hungry to learn all that they can about how to be a more effective leader. And certainly there are tools and best practices young leaders should know and add to their toolkit. But - as Steve Mostyn, one of the world's leading innovators in executive leadership, has learned over the past decades of teaching this cohort - two equally useful activities for the aspiring leader are reflection and experimentation. In his new book WHY GREAT LEADERS ASK GREAT QUESTIONS, Mostyn has crafted an elegant collection of the seven provocative questions aspiring leaders should ask themselves in order to spur that reflection and experimentation. These are some of the most important questions Mostyn poses to each cohort of the Oxford Executive Leadership program's students, honed by the past answers and engagement of thousands of students. The book is simple in conception, profound in execution. In seven accessible chapters, with exercises, research, and examples, the reader will engage with these questions: How do I reflect? How do I spend my time? Where does my power come from? How do I grow my network? How do I make change happen around here? How do I manage my energy? How do I grow more leaders? Inspired in part by Mostyn's work on the Oxford Executive Leadership Programme - an accelerated international leadership development program with over 5,000 alumni around the world - and in part by his numerous workshop sessions where he challenges and supports leaders through his unique questions, the premise of the book is well-tested with aspiring and practicing leaders and is proven to spark both reflection and growth. These seven questions are drawn from the author's deep experience with the needs of rising young executives. Readers will engage with provocative exercises, highly accessible overviews of applicable research, and examples from fellow mid-career executives.

Steve Mostyn is one of the world's leading designers and directors of senior executive leadership programs and an internationally recognised thought leader in leadership training. He is Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford; creates and leads the Oxford University Executive Leadership Program; and is Honorary Professor, Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow. Previously Mostyn led the Royal Bank of Scotland Business School, and has led partnerships with global business schools, including Harvard, Chicago Booth, IMD, INSEAD, London Business School, University of Michigan, Kellogg and Thunderbird. Outside of academia, Mostyn develops innovative solutions for leadership training for corporations and organizations worldwide. Mostyn has led many corporate programs for senior leaders including Standard Chartered Bank, Royal Mail, The Financial Services Authority, Scottish Water, Mercedes F1 Team, Meltwater, SNC-Lavalin and the Education Training Foundation. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD).