10 (leadership) questions.
There’s a strange thing that happens with our strengths over time: we stop noticing them.
They become so baked into how we work, lead, and relate that we don’t think of them as strengths anymore. We just think, “That’s how I operate.”
But what if the way you naturally show up is worth revisiting?
What if some of the gifts you’ve buried under busyness or burnout are exactly what you need to come back to?
I’ve been sitting with a set of questions lately. Ten, to be exact.
They’re short and punchy. They’re not meant to be answered all at once, or even out loud.
But if you’re in a season of transition, restlessness, or just wondering where your energy went, I truly believe that one or two of these might shake something loose.
Here’s the first one: Where are you trying to control everything instead of delegating to others? If you’re the person who always keeps things running, it might be time to ask whether you’re leading, or just holding it all together for everyone else. Sometimes the best gift you can give a team is trust and space, not control.
Who’s not getting your best self right now? Focus is finite, and it’s easy to let it default toward whoever’s loudest or most urgent. But the people who matter most might not be shouting for it. They might just be waiting to be seen again.
What from your past are you still carrying that doesn’t belong in your future? Experience is a great teacher, but some lessons are only meant to be learned once. You don’t have to drag the whole story forward just to prove you’ve grown.
Which relationship in your life needs to get more honest? Comfort and closeness aren’t the same thing. If you value a relationship, it deserves clarity. That doesn’t mean conflict. Nope. It means having the guts to stop pretending everything’s fine when it isn’t.
What problem are you solving that doesn’t belong to you? Just because you can fix something doesn’t mean it’s yours to fix. Sometimes helping too much keeps other people stuck, and keeps you stuck too. You weren’t meant to carry everyone else’s mess.
Where have you been too flexible? It’s great to adapt. It keeps things moving. But if you’re always the one adjusting to everyone else, your needs start to disappear. That’s not leadership, that’s self-abandonment.
What are you still learning that you should probably just start doing? It’s easy to hide behind books, plans, and podcasts. But if it’s time to move, start now. Action will teach you faster than another podcaster ever will.
Where have you said Yes when you should’ve said, “That’s not mine”? Being dependable doesn’t mean being endlessly available. Take a look at your commitments. Are they coming from alignment, or just from guilt?
Whose emotions are you carrying right now? Being present for other people is a gift. But when you start absorbing their stress, their expectations, their emotional chaos, you lose your own footing. Care, don’t carry.
Here’s the last one: What’s one thing you’ve been putting off that you should just start? We wait until the timing is better, the plan is clearer, or the fear goes away. But clarity doesn’t come before action, it comes from it.
You don’t have to work through all ten.
Just sit with the one that won’t let go of you. The one you keep rereading.
That’s usually the one worth answering. Digging into. Journaling. And, talking about.
And maybe that’s the real takeaway here: your strengths still have something to say. You just have to get quiet enough to listen.
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If you’re interested in understanding your strengths (and kryptonite) more, check out www.strengthsfinder.com. It’s a tool I’ve used with teams, leaders and families for the past 20 years.
And, if I can help you unpack and apply them, give me a shout. It’s one of my favorite coaching conversations. Reply to this post or shoot me a text (+1.832.915.9877).
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Steve Knox | Kansas City
\\\ Thanks for reading. I hope this one sparks something in you. Put pen to paper. Reach out if you need to. And, share this post with at least one kind soul who is searching or stuck right now. Much love. Until next week. Be honest. Be you.