Mark Chussil has an insatiable curiosity. He is always questioning and challenging assumptions. Talking to Mark stretches your thinking in unexpected ways. His questions gently lead you to a breakthrough in your own thinking on any given topic. It’s something he can do naturally because he enjoys having people disagree with him. Mark knows the value of a good question. He will often simply say, ‘Tell me more.’
This curiosity makes him a thought-provoking teacher of strategic thinking. He is a pioneer in business war-gaming and has developed computer simulations designed to challenge corporate executives about their view of the future. ‘If you want to outperform your competitors,’ he says, ‘you have to do something your competitors aren’t doing.’
‘Never be too sure about things,’ Mark says, ‘because that’s when you get blind-sided. When you think you know the answer, you stop looking for the answer. And that’s when you are vulnerable.’
Read Mark’s story in more detail in the new book co-authored by Dean Phelan and myself, The Gentle Art of Leadership. We interviewed 50+ leaders from around the globe, including Mark, and gathered their insights in the book.
A recurring theme from many of our interviewees was that leaders who practice the gentle art of leadership are humble enough to know they don’t have to have all the answers. They just need to ask good questions.
🙋♀️What’s a good question you like to ask? 🙋
Best regards, Brian
PS: If you’re looking to enhance your influence, and accelerate your ability to get to “yes” faster, the Personality and Behaving Transactionally program could be for you. Get in touch if you’re interested in finding out more.