Staff Engineer: Leadership Beyond the Management Track

by Will Larson

Listening through questions is a form of active listening with the goal of understanding the rest of the room’s perspectives. The act of asking good questions with good intent opens up a conversation, creating space and safety for others to ask their own questions. Good questions are asked with the desire to learn, and they are specific. They sharpen the conversation. They free the answerer from the obligation to defend their position. In a potentially contentious meeting, ask three good questions before you share your perspective, and you’ll see the room shift around you.