Questions Are the New Currency: Leading with Curiosity

Gina Martin | ICF NYC & NYU Co-Hosted Event | March, 2025

When I first stepped into executive leadership, I believed I had to earn my seat by knowing the answers.

Say the right thing. Make the quick call. Solve the problem before anyone else even sees it.

For a while, that approach worked. I was seen as decisive, driven, and efficient. But over time—especially as I began coaching senior leaders—I realized something powerful. That kind of leadership gets you compliance, not commitment. Movement, not momentum.

Real influence doesn’t come from being the one who always knows. It comes from being the one who asks.

As high-achievers, we’re wired to do. To drive performance. To move fast and produce results. But that wiring can become a barrier when we don’t know how to pause long enough to get curious. When we forget to ask the questions that could lead to deeper insight, stronger buy-in, and more sustainable outcomes.

This is one of the biggest shifts I help leaders make inside my coaching work: Stepping out of performance mode and into presence.

And presence begins with inquiry.

"Questions are the new currency. They build trust. They unlock ownership. They shift the room."— Gina Martin

And the leaders who master this create cultures that are not only more effective but more human.

Here’s how that looks in practice:

1. Ask to Learn, Not Just to Confirm

Most leaders ask questions that are actually disguised statements. They’re fishing for confirmation. They’re seeking agreement.

But when you’re leading at the executive level, those kinds of questions keep you stuck in echo chambers. They limit growth and innovation.

Instead of asking,

"Do you agree with this direction?"

Try:

"What’s a perspective I might be missing?" or "What would you do differently if you weren’t worried about being wrong?"

I coach leaders to stop looking for the “right” answer and start uncovering what they haven’t considered yet. That’s where growth lives.

2.  Use Questions to Unlock Ownership

   
   

Telling your team what to do is easy. But if you want to build a culture of leadership—not dependency—you have to lead with questions.

Try:

"What outcome are you really solving for?"

or

"What would success look like if you took full ownership of this?"

When I work with executive teams, I often see leaders unintentionally robbing their people of the chance to lead by solving things too quickly.

Great leadership isn’t about doing it all yourself. It’s about drawing greatness out of others. And that starts with asking the right questions.

3. Pause Before You Problem-Solve

   
   

When someone brings you a problem, your instinct might be to fix it. Especially if you're a high-performer who’s used to being the go-to person.

But what that often signals is, "I don’t trust you to figure this out."

Instead, slow the pace. Ask,

"What have you already tried?"

"What’s the root issue here?"

"What decision are you avoiding?"

These moments are where leadership is either built or blocked. Give your people space to think. Don’t just be the answer—be the mirror that helps them find their own.

4.  Lead Yourself With Better Questions

This isn’t just about how you lead others. It’s about how you lead yourself when no one’s watching.

One of the most powerful self-coaching tools I give my clients is this: Change the question you’re asking yourself.

Instead of:

"Why do I keep messing this up?"

Try:

"What would it look like to lead this moment with clarity?"

That one shift moves you from shame to strategy. From judgment to growth.

When you ask better questions, your brain stops defending and starts designing.

And that’s where real change begins.

So What’s the Takeaway for Leading with Curiosity?

Great leaders don’t need to speak louder. They need to ask better. The boardroom doesn’t need more answers—it needs more presence. And your team doesn’t need you to be the smartest person in the room. They need you to create a room where smart thinking can thrive.

If you want to lead with clarity, confidence, and impact—start with your questions.

And if you’ve been carrying the pressure to have it all figured out, I’ll leave you with this:

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can say as a leader is,"Help me understand."

Let that be your next move.

With Love,

Gina