Throughout our careers as physicians, we lead and influence countless individuals, including patients, colleagues, trainees, and staff. But all leadership is not created equal. Effective leadership fosters connection, collaboration, and better outcomes, while ineffective leadership can limit performance, morale, and organizational success.
To bring out the best in those around us, it is important to consider how we connect with them. Meaningful and lasting change is more likely when others are engaged in the process, take ownership of their actions, and contribute to developing solutions rather than simply following directions. That process begins with genuine connection.
This is where a coaching mindset can be particularly valuable. Leaders who incorporate coaching skills help others think more deeply, gain clarity, and take meaningful action. Two of the most powerful coaching skills are active listening and asking powerful questions. Together, these skills strengthen relationships, build trust, and help others reach their full potential.
Active Listening
Active listening involves hearing not only the words spoken aloud, but also body language, facial expressions, tone, and emotion. It requires noticing when there may be more beneath the surface and creating space for others to fully express themselves.
Five key elements of active listening include:
- Giving your full attention to the speaker
- Remaining curious and limiting judgment
- Acknowledging the speaker through verbal and nonverbal cues
- Summarizing what you have heard to confirm understanding
- Inviting clarification when needed
An active listener periodically checks for understanding rather than assuming they have interpreted the message correctly. This includes understanding both the literal content of what is being said and the meaning that may be implied through verbal and nonverbal cues.
The ultimate goal of active listening is to reduce misunderstandings, build trust, and help others feel heard and understood.
Powerful Questions
If active listening creates connection, powerful questions help deepen it. As physician leaders, we often feel responsible for providing answers, solving problems, and directing action. While there are times when this is necessary, there are also opportunities to help others think for themselves and discover their own solutions.
Powerful questions help activate critical thinking, self-awareness, and ownership. Rather than directing someone toward a predetermined answer, they invite reflection and exploration.
Powerful questions are:
- Open-ended
- Free of judgment
- Rooted in genuine curiosity
- Supportive rather than leading
Their purpose is not to guide someone to the answer we think is best. Their purpose is to help others gain awareness, explore possibilities, and identify meaningful next steps.
Consider the following examples:
- What do you think is contributing to this challenge?
- What options have you considered?
- What would success look like to you?
- What is most important in this situation?
- What support do you need moving forward?
Questions like these encourage ownership and engagement by inviting people to participate in creating solutions rather than simply receiving instructions.
Growing Through Connection
Many leadership challenges are not solved by having better answers. They are solved by creating stronger relationships and fostering greater engagement.
Active listening and powerful questions help leaders create an environment where people feel valued, understood, and empowered. They strengthen trust, encourage collaboration, and promote accountability in ways that directives alone rarely achieve.
As physicians, our expertise will always matter. Yet some of our greatest opportunities for leadership may come not from what we tell others, but from how we listen and the questions we ask.
By incorporating these coaching skills into everyday conversations, physician leaders can create deeper connections, strengthen teams, and help others perform at their highest potential.