Good leaders ask great questions. Here are ways you can become a better leader and develop your own potential through powerful coaching questions.

1. Jennifer October 23, 2020
Improve your Life by Asking Yourself these Powerful
Health Questions
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2. Most of the health questions I receive as a holistic coach have to do with what to eat, how
much to exercise, which foods can help with specific concerns, or when is the best time of
day to exercise.
While these are all valid questions, and part of the planning process when it comes to
creating your own health journey, they are not the deep and powerful type of coaching
questions that create transformation.
Before we dive into powerful health questions to ask yourself, let’s look at why questions
are helpful.
The Power of Questions
What makes questions so powerful for change? You might think back to a time when
someone asked you something that completely changed your perspective of a situation, or a
time when someone prompted you to question what you thought to be true.
If you remember it that clearly, it was most likely a milestone in your life.
As a coach, I task myself with asking powerful questions every time I connect on a call with
a client. Sometimes those health questions resulted in being able to sleep better that night,
realizing something about their habits or patterns that they didn’t see initially, or even
helps them clarify what their purpose is.
As a graduate of a Leadership program, much of my coursework involved eliciting
feedback from peers and colleagues in order to create innovative solutions. Most
companies have robust surveys and feedback forms to make sure their employee
satisfaction is high (or at least not low).
Most of the research on asking questions deals with leaders of teams. The key benefits of
using questions as a leader include:
Building knowledge
Learning about others
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3. Engaging creativity
Validating Value
Guide focus
Help others improve
Often, when we are looking for personal development, we rely upon advice or mentorship.
However, this approach denies our very real awareness of ourselves. Plus, when we don’t
ask questions, we assume we know everything there is to know.
I can’t tell you how many clients have asked me to tell them what to do!
Unfortunately, coaching is not about telling folks what to do- it is about asking them what
they desire and choose to do. Yet, not everyone is ready to jump into a coaching
relationship, or knows how to ask themselves powerful health questions.
Here are some of the benefits of asking yourself questions:
Leads to self-discovery
Encourages changes
Forms good habits
Fuels your brain
Types of Questions
Not all questions are created equal- which you are probably aware of if you have ever felt
like the subject of an interrogation. Thomas Kuhn famously said “the answers you get
depend on the questions you ask,”
To be honest, some people have told me that I am too inquisitive or ask too many
questions. I can’t help it! As a Questioner on the Four Tendencies quiz, and a lifelong
Learner from the StrengthsFinder, a coach who believes in the power of the right questions,
it’s hard for me NOT to question. Did I also mention I worked for over a decade in fraud
investigations?
We will start with questions that are not particularly helpful for reflection (and could even
be harmful):
Closed questions
Closed questions can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”. Unfortunately, this answer is
not likely to lead to a powerful realization or desire for change.
For example, “did I eat healthy today”, “am I happy”, “did I exercise 5 times this week”
have a definitive answer. Yet, the answer may not motivate a change or continue a habit,
and the answer could even be cause for not asking the question the next day.
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4. Leading questions
These questions are intended to lead to a desired answer, which could be positive or
negative.
Some examples of a leading question could be “what don’t I like about this diet”, “how hard
is exercising 4 times a week” or more positive examples like “did I enjoy that breakfast
smoothie”? These can tap into our previous challenges with certain behaviors, and make it
hard to imagine a new result.
Loaded questions
These questions are famously used by lawyers to trick respondents into admitting
something they would rather not.
While I am a big proponent of facing our inner demons when it comes to health, I am not a
sadist who revels in someone’s emotional pain. Leading questions could walk you down a
path of identifying more with your past behavior than your future desired behavior.
Some loaded health questions could be “have I stopped eating full bags of Doritos” or “am I
still skipping the gym because I’m too tired?”
Rhetorical questions
Rhetorical questions are a particular technique used by speakers to get the audience to
agree, but don’t really require an answer.
This type of questioning may not be helpful for specific types of people, depending on
where they are in their current situation.
For example, asking a person who is depressed “what if you could live your best life?”
might not get a positive response. That person is not feeling their best, and that question
could feel non-validating and dismissive.
I often feel that affirmations work like rhetorical questions- that is, not very well.
Statements like “Today, I am brimming with energy and overflowing with joy”, “My body is
healthy; my mind is brilliant; my soul is tranquil”, “Happiness is a choice”, “My future is an
ideal projection of what I envision now” might grate against current reality so strongly that
they make you feel phony, frustrated, or hopeless.
Anyone who has attempted to manifest more money, better health, or loving relationships
might have experienced this strong contrast between what is desired and what is currently
being experienced.
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5. More Powerful Health Questions
Now that we have addressed some questions that are less powerful, let’s share the most
powerful types of health questions. Some of these are from the International Coaching
Federation, which is the approving body for my current certification as a holistic coach.
Open questions
One of the biggest skills you can learn is to ask yourself open-ended questions that allow
your mind to create new solutions. This skill is difficult to develop- I even struggle with it
sometimes as a coach! Yet, it is critical to unleashing powerful truths for your life.
Some examples of open health questions could be “how will I eat healthier today”, “what
can I do right now to feel happy”, “how would my week improve if I exercise 5 times”?
These answers require awareness and reflection, and give you the opportunity to create
your own solutions. As a side note, it can be tempting to be generic in asking yourself
open-ended questions. A coach can help you narrow your focus on specific action steps
that lead to transformation.
Connect with me to learn if coaching may be supportive for you.
Process questions
Process questions require you to put your own opinion into the answer. For example, you
may have heard that intermittent fasting is THE THING for weight loss, but you may have
personally struggled with being too hungry from skipping breakfast before. These
questions also help you identify the knowledge you may have on the subject (which is
probably more than you recognize!).
When I work with clients, I encourage them to incorporate review and analysis in their
health journey. This is the final step of the 4-step process to sustainable lifestyle change. If
you don’t know what’s working (or not working), your progress will stall.
Some of my favorite process questions include: “If you could start all over again, what
would you do differently”, “what changes are needed to move forward”, “when have you
been successful in a similar situation in the past” and “how will you hold yourself
accountable“?
Sometimes, process questions are too broad to answer. Therefore, you can start with a
conditional “if this, then that” question to build smaller steps to your overall health goals.
These might look like, “if I worked out 5 times a week, then I can ….” or “if I changed my
morning routine, then that impacts…”
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6. Awareness questions
These types of questions are the ones that are often followed by a pause, because you don’t
already know the answer. It’s ok not to know the answers! If we already knew the answers,
we would have mastered the goal already.
I love awareness questions, and they are EXTREMELY difficult to ask yourself in the
moment. However, they can be the most powerful and effective health questions of all.
For example, “what is your desired health outcome” could have many layers, and the first
or second answer may not be the “real” answer. Maybe you want to lose 25 pounds. If you
then kept asking yourself “why”, you might realize that you really just want to have more
energy to play with your kids or stop taking an expensive medication. Or, even that you
don’t feel like yourself and want to find yourself again.
Shining a light on your intrinsic motivation is not easy, but is worth the effort.
Other awareness questions could be “what do I need right now” (especially if you’re in front
of the fridge ready to grab an unhealthy snack), “what strengths can I use to achieve better
health”, or “what have I learned from my past dieting attempts”?
Tracking what you are currently eating, how much water you’re drinking, or the frequency
of your exercise sessions may or may not create awareness for you. Telling others of your
completion of these things may also not create awareness for you.
Self-awareness requires assessing your own strengths and limitations.
Tracking calories, points, carbs, colors, foods, minutes, reps or classes don’t necessarily
give you insight into your overall patterns. And, if you don’t celebrate your small wins, you
may be acknowledging only your limitations.
Questions have the power to change your life, especially if you focus on powerful health
questions.
As you think of upcoming holiday weight challenges or starting a new diet program,
consider utilizing some of the questions above to improve your life.
Which health question above feels most powerful to you? Share in
the comments!
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