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Joe Iarocci
Joe Iarocci
Coach for executives, teams and boards of directors | Interim nonprofit CEO
Published Jun 6, 2016
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May I ask, do you have a favorite quote about questioning?
Listening may be the most distinctive practice of servant leadership.
But not far behind listening is another distinctive servant leadership practice: questioning.
I often incorporate quotes about questioning into my servant leadership presentations. Let me share some of my favorites.
Here (in alphabetical order by author) are 15 great quotes about questioning:
- “The master key of knowledge is, indeed, a persistent and frequent questioning.” – Peter Abelard
- “A prudent question is one half of wisdom.” – Francis Bacon
- “The one who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.” – Confucius
- “The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The true dangerous thing is asking the wrong question.” – Peter Drucker
- “Only the one who does not question is safe from making a mistake.” – Albert Einstein
- “The power to question is the basis of all human progress.” – Indira Gandhi
- “What are you trying to do – one of the easiest to ask and most difficult to answer of questions.” – Robert K. Greenleaf
- “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
- “There are no right answers to wrong questions.” – Ursula K. Le Guin
- “You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.” – Naguib Mahfouz
- “Never ask a question unless the answer makes a difference.” – Proverb
- “There are no foolish questions and no man becomes a fool until he has stopped asking questions.” – Charles Proteus Steinmetz
- “The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when someone asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer.” – Henry David Thoreau
- “It’s better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.” – James Thurber
- “Questions are never indiscreet, answers sometimes are.” – Oscar Wilde
Would you like one more for fun? OK, how about this:
“My best attribute is knowing when not to answer stupid questions.” – Gina Gershon
Do you like any of these quotes in particular? Do you have a favorite quote about questioning you would add to the list?
Let us know.
As always, we appreciate your views.
Thanks!
For more about servant leadership in the workplace, visit our Cairnway website.
And download our latest ebook, Servant Leadership in the Workplace: A Brief Introduction. It’s free!
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David Maddess CD
Connector: Building a Just and Verdant Community; Veteran
5mo
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As a practice in analytics and critical thinking recently; I was pondering how to improve my skills in listening and storytelling to more effectively communicate.- Asking better questions leads to better answers.
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Daniel Bede O'Connor
Sustainability. Ideas & process person. Collaborating to fix the damage done to planet Earth.
7mo
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Brilliant article for our times!!!!
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Schuyler Totman, M.A.
Master Coach - Boot Camp for New Dads
8y
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I haven't seen any great quotes on it, but I do know that, pure and simple, listening builds trust.
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Robert Varga, JD, MBA
Chief of Staff, General Counsel, Senior Enterprise Reorganization & Corporate Development Executive, Chief Financial Officer & Trusted Aide-De-Camp to Chief Executives
8y
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Excellent. Used most before in my quotation mailing, but Gershon's a keeper... will be using that Friday. Thanks, my friend.
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Scott Knutson, MBA, M.S. Leadership, ACC
Leadership Coach | Retention Expert | Creator of Leadership Advance: The Un-Retreat for People-Centered Leaders | Retain top talent & attract the best | Passionate about work-life balance & making every game count!
8y
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Great post, Joe! My favorite comes from Lou Holtz: I never learn anything talking. I only learn things when I ask questions.
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