7 Questions for Wise Investing
An Investment Crisis
Just so I don’t mislead you, I want to help us invest in people, not the stock market. Yesterday, the stock market dropped 3%, dropping 800.49 points. People are fearing a recession and the market is in a bit of a panic. When it comes to growing leaders, the best investment is one leader investing time and wisdom into another leader. The best leaders rarely talk about their degree or a leadership program that equipped them to lead, but they can name people who invested in them. If we as leaders aren’t doing this, good healthy leader numbers will drop, and we will have a real crisis on our hands.
Questions for Investment Conversations
Therefore, I want to share seven questions that can serve as a guide for your investment conversations between you and a future leader. These can be used over and over and can keep the development conversations focused and productive.
- How are you? What word describes your last two weeks? Why this word?
- How are you connecting with God and other consistently? What impact is this having on you?
- What are your relational needs? How are you addressing them? acceptance, containment, empathy, validation, identification, comfort, affirmation, encouragement, forgiveness, celebration, prayer, clarification, understanding, perspective, feedback, wisdom, confrontation, advice, structure, exhortation, altruism
- What is your biggest challenge in your role right now? What are you doing to address it?
- What leadership development goals are you currently pursuing (i.e., leading myself, leading others, leading organizationally, and communication)? Have you made it a SMART goal? SMART- Specific. Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely
- What are you learning? Is there a book or topic we might look at together?
- What can I be praying about for you?
A Return on Your Investment
I can guarantee that if you use these questions and also authentically share your own answers to the questions with the person you are investing in, you will help that leader grow tremendously and you will be making an extremely wise investment. The return on that investment will be seen and experienced by people for years to come.