The document discusses how to design powerful questions for leadership. It states that leadership is about finding the right questions, not having all the answers. It encourages leaders to practice being a "not knower" and getting curious instead of judging. The document provides tips for building a powerful "Big Focus Question" or BFQ, including writing down many questions, following steps to define the purpose and audience, and making the question genuine, draw people in, inspire more questions, and open possibilities. It emphasizes that asking powerful questions is a skill that improves with practice.

1. HOW TO
DESIGN
POWERFUL
QUESTIONS

2. LEADERS HAVE 2 CHOICES:
1. QUESTIONS
2. ANSWERS

3. QUESTIONS OPEN
POSSIBILITY.

4. ANSWERS ARE
THE END.

5. LEADERSHIP IS NOT
ABOUT KNOWING
ALL THE
ANSWERS.

6. LEADERSHIP IS
ABOUT
FINDING THE
QUESTIONS.

7. PRACTICE BEING A
NOT KNOWER.

8. NOT KNOWING
TAKES THE
PRESSURE
OFF.

9. WHEN YOUR JUDGY
VOICE SHOWS UP,
GET
CURIOUS.

10. CURIOUSITY AND
JUDGEMENT CAN’T
FIT IN THE
SAME SPACE.

11. SLOW DOWN SO
YOU CAN
MOVE FAST.

12. SLOW DOWN SO
YOU CAN
GET DONE
EARLY.

13. NEVER PLAN A
CONVERSATION WITHOUT
A B.F.Q.

14. YOU NEED A
BIG FOCUS
QUESTION.

15. MAKE YOUR B.F.Q.
POWERFUL.

16. TECHNICAL Q. HAS
ONE ANSWER.
POWERFUL Q. HAS
NO CLEAR
ANSWERS.

17. MAKE YOUR B.F.Q.
DO WHAT
YOU WANT IT
TO DO.

18. MAKE YOUR B.F.Q.
INSPIRE
MORE
QUESTIONS.

19. MAKE YOUR B.F.Q.
SURPRISE
AND
DELIGHT.

20. MAKE YOUR B.F.Q.
SHATTER
MENTAL
MODELS.

21. MAKE YOUR B.F.Q.
CHANGE
PERSPECTIVE.

22. MAKE YOUR B.F.Q.
INVITE
VULNERABLE
SPACE.

23. MAKE YOUR B.F.Q.
OPEN
POSSIBLITY.

24. HOW TO BUILD A
POWERFUL
B.F.Q.

25. WRITE DOWN AS
MANY QUESTIONS AS
YOU POSSIBLY
CAN.

26. FOLLOW FOUR STEPS
1. WHAT’S IT FOR?
2. WHO’S IT FOR?
3. WHERE’S IT FOR?
4. HOW WILL IT DRAW
PEOPLE IN?

27. YOUR BFQ MUST DO
JUST ONE
THING YOU NEED
IT TO DO.

28. YOUR BFQ MUST
INCLUDE
EVERYONE
YOU WANT IT
TO INCLUDE.

29. YOUR BFQ MUST
INCLUDE NO ONE
YOU DON’T
WANT IT TO.

30. YOUR BFQ MUST
NAME THE
PLAYING FIELD
YOU WANT.

31. YOUR BFQ MUST
NAME WHAT’S
OUT OF
BOUNDS.

32. EVERY QUESTION MAKES
ASSUMPTIONS.
WHICH DO YOU
WANT IN
YOURS?

33. YOUR BFQ MUST
BE GENUINE.
(IF YOU KNOW THE
ANSWER, IT IS NOT
REAL.)

34. STEP BACK AND
WRITE A
BETTER
DRAFT.

35. NEVER BE AFRAID TO
ASK A FRIEND
FOR HELP.

36. BEWARE OF BFQ
DANGER WORDS:
CAN, SHOULD,
WHY.

37. TRUST BFQ MAGIC
WORDS: HOW
MIGHT WE...

38. KEEP SOME POWERFUL
POCKET
QUESTIONS.

39. FOR WHEN YOU NEED
A POWERFUL
QUESTION
ON THE SPOT.

40. GATHER AND CARRY
SOME POWERFUL
QUESTIONS IN
YOUR POCKET.

41. ASKING POWERFUL
QUESTIONS
IS A PRACTICE.