20 Questions Every Leader Should Ask Themselves At The End Of Each Year

January 3, 2015

Gary J. Borgstede Coaching Corner , , , , , , Leave a comment

As a leader, I am always on the search for powerful questions that can unlock the door to new levels of personal and professional growth for myself and others. The right question asked at the right time can be the difference between grand new possibilities in life and more of the same old stale stuff in life. And because it is the end of an old year and the beginning of a new year, I am especially open to seeking, finding, and asking some new questions that will unleash extraordinary new possibilities for myself and others in the new year.

We Have Not Because We Ask Not

The Bible says in James 4:2 that, “we have not, because we ask not”; therefore, as we begin this new year, let us ask ourselves and others the right questions that can lead us into greater levels of personal and professional excellence in the new year. To help us do just that, I discovered 20 questions that every leader should ask themselves at the end of each year so they can be better prepared to grow in the new year. These 20 questions were initially found on Paul Sohn’s blog at http://paulsohn.org/20-questions-to-help-you-reflect-the-past-year/  and then I slightly modified the list as follows:

20 Questions Every Leader Should Ask Themselves At The End Of Each Year

  1. What activities made you lose track of time last year?
  2. What accomplishments did you achieve this past year that deserve a “pat on the back”?
  3. Which areas of life did you thrive in this past year (e.g. spiritual, physical, mental, relational, emotional, financial, vocational)?
  4. Which areas of life did you struggle in this past year (e.g. spiritual, physical, mental, relational, emotional, financial, vocational)?
  5. If someone made a film about your life this past year, what kind of film would it be: (e.g. comedy, romance, drama, horror, action, adventure, sci-fy, documentary)?
  6. Where and how did God work most in your life this past year?
  7. If you had to describe the past year in 3 words, what would they be?
  8. What was your most common mental state this past year (e.g. excited, curious, stressed, anxious, worried, reflective)?
  9. What was the best book you read this past year that had the greatest influence in your personal and/or professional growth?
  10. What was your favorite place that you visited this past year?
  11. What was your single biggest time waster this past year?
  12. What was the most productive use of your time this past year?
  13. For what or whom in your life this past year are you most thankful?
  14. If you could redo this past year, what would you do differently?
  15. What did you think about more than anything else in the past year?
  16. What topics did you most enjoy learning about this past year?
  17. What was your overall feeling about life this past year (e.g. happy, sad, angry, afraid, ashamed)?
  18. What was your favorite compliment that you received this past year?
  19. What was the best compliment that you gave to another person this past year?
  20. What was the most important lesson you learned this past year?

By asking yourself these questions each year, I believe you will learn new things about yourself from the past year that will better prepare you for growth and new possibilities in the new year. So go ahead and do it…ask yourself these powerful questions and encourage others to do the same.

To God’s glory, have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

20 Questions Every Leader Should Ask Themselves At The End Of Each Year Copyright 2015, The Make It Happen Learning Institute. You have permission to reprint the leadership article, 20 Questions Every Leader Should Ask Themselves At The End Of Each Year, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission. All other rights reserved.

100 Powerful Questions For Growing In Life And Leadership

October 5, 2013

Gary J. Borgstede Coaching Corner, Leadership Insights , , , , 3 Comments

Powerful QuestionAs a leader, I have learned that one simple question, asked at the right time, has the power to change a life when someone exercises the courage to honestly answer the question. I believe that powerful questions can often times provide the keys to unlock closed doors, unleash new worlds of discovery and adventure, and ignite tremendous growth in people’s life and leadership.

Therefore, I have compiled 100 Powerful Questions For Growing In Life And Leadership which I pray will be a powerful resource for your personal growth as well any other people that you lead. As a practical resource for growth, please feel free to read them, ask them, answer them, use them, and share them in any way you like.

100 Powerful Questions For Growing In Life And Leadership

  1. How do you want to be remembered in life?
  2. Who are your core trusted advisors?
  3. What has God been doing in your life lately?
  4. What are your greatest leadership strengths?
  5. What are your greatest leadership weaknesses?
  6. What activities replace the energy you expire relationally, physically, mentally, and spiritually?
  7. What are your top 3 to 5 personal goals?
  8. What are your top 3 to 5 professional goals?
  9. If you could achieve one personal goal that would make your life better, what would it be?
  10. What is the greatest limitation or barrier to achieving your top goal?
  11. What “Well Dones” have you desired and NOT achieved in life?
  12. How does that make you feel?
  13. Will you allow me to give you some guidance in that area?
  14. How full are your emotional, physical, and spiritual tanks?  Empty, quarter, half, full?
  15. What theme does God seem to be emphasizing in this season of your life?
  16. What are you looking for God to do in your life during the next 6 months?
  17. When was the last time you became angry and why?
  18. What are your most compulsive bad habits?
  19. How do you intend to break your harmful bad habits?
  20. What has God been saying to you through His Word recently?
  21. What passion is God stirring in your soul?
  22. What season best describes your spiritual life right now: winter, summer, spring, fall?
  23. What’s exciting you most in your spiritual journey these days?
  24. How will you measure progress in your personal and professional life?
  25. What does personal and professional success look like for you?
  26. Who is the one person in your life who has helped to make you who you are today?
  27. What is the most risky decision you ever made in your life?
  28. What is the one thing you like the best about yourself?
  29. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
  30. What is the one character quality you value most in a person?
  31. What did you always want to be when you were young?
  32. Who is your favorite biblical hero of faith and why?
  33. Where do you expect to be living 20 years from now?
  34. Suppose you only had 6 months to live, what would you do with your time?
  35. What person in life do you feel the closest to and why?
  36. When was the last time you cried in front of another person?
  37. When was the last time you cried by yourself?
  38. What has been your biggest disappointment in life?
  39. What has been your biggest failure in life?
  40. What will you be when you grow up?
  41. What was it like growing up in your family?
  42. As a child, how was your relationship with your mom?
  43. As a child, how was your relationship with your dad?
  44. What percentage of your time do you spend on business, personal, and family time?
  45. What have you learned from your greatest success in life?
  46. What have you learned from your greatest failure in life?
  47. If you could invite any 5 people (living or dead) to a dinner party, who would they be and why?
  48. If you knew you were going to die today, what would you most regret?
  49. What are your personal expectations of your family members?
  50. What are your professional expectations of your business associates?
  51. What person in life do you admire most and why?
  52. What would be the perfect evening for you?
  53. What is your most treasured memory?
  54. Have you ever felt or experienced hate in your life?
  55. Have you ever felt or experienced unconditional love in your life?
  56. When was the last time that you were personally involved in a conflict?
  57. How was your last personal conflict resolved?
  58. For what in life do you feel most grateful?
  59. When was the last time that you felt powerless in your life?
  60. What are the God-centered ambitions in your life?
  61. What are the self-centered ambitions in your life?
  62. Who has been your most influential example of godly leadership?
  63. What are the greatest honorable ambitions in your life?
  64. Will you forgive me?
  65. Who in your life do you need to forgive?
  66. What was the low point of your life last week?
  67. What was the high point of your life last week?
  68. Do you have a written plan for your life?
  69. What is holding you back from writing a personal life plan?
  70. As a leader, what do you stand for?
  71. How can I best serve you?
  72. When was the last time you had a WOW experience?
  73. Where is your favorite place to be alone with God?
  74. What compelling God-centered ambitions do you have for your business?
  75. What compelling God-centered ambitions do you have in serving God?
  76. How well do you maintain self-control when things go wrong?
  77. How well do you handle criticism?
  78. When was the last time you profited from criticism?
  79. What can you do to turn your disappointments into creative new opportunities?
  80. Do people trust you with difficult and delicate matters?
  81. Can you accept opposition to your viewpoint or decision without taking offense?
  82. How well do you cultivate friendships?
  83. Can you hold steady in the face of disapproval and temporary loss of confidence from others?
  84. Do other people’s failures annoy or challenge you?
  85. Do you direct people or develop people?
  86. Do you shun or seek the person with a special need or problem?
  87. Do you more often criticize or more often encourage people?
  88. Who do you say Jesus is?
  89. If you met Jesus today, what would you say to Him?
  90. What are the obstacles that keep you from praying?
  91. When was the last time that you felt rejected?
  92. If you were stranded on an island, what 3 books or magazines would you most desire?
  93. If you were granted a wish and could instantly and permanently acquire one leadership quality, what would it be?
  94. If your reading highlights were turned over to a psychologist for character analysis, what would they conclude about you?
  95. How long does it take you to overcome the feeling of failure?
  96. What do you do or where do you go for renewal from fatigue?
  97. What changes in your life have been difficult for you in the past year?
  98. How do you deal with people who believe they are never wrong?
  99. How can you better direct your energies to do the work God has for you to do on earth?
  100. As you look back, how have you seen God at work in your life preparing you for leadership?

To God’s glory, have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

100 Powerful Questions For Growing In Life And Leadership Work Copyright 2013, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, 100 Powerful Questions For Growing In Life And Leadership, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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