The Power of a Great Question: Unlocking Worlds, One Inquiry at a Time

If you could add one topic to curriculums - from 5 year olds to C-Suite CEOs - what would it be?

Prompting LLMs? Climate Science? Nutrition?

My choice: Questions.

Simple, but not easy.

There's art & science to it. Empathy & precision. The microscope to see details, the telescope to spot what's coming.

A famous interviewer once said a great question is like a 'billiard break' - one shot opens up all the balls in exactly the right position. But unlike pool, there's no chalk dust on your hands to show you've been practicing.

Questions aren't just about asking. Like any great trick shot, they need:

Design (the angle)
Timing (the moment)
Delivery (the touch)
Follow-through (the effect)

Like a maestro at the table, they need sequencing and layering. Build tension, release it. Create space, (let others) fill it.

Sounds nice.

But it isn't just nice-to-have anymore.

Whether you're helping a 5-year-old explore their curiosity or a CEO navigate market shifts, the ability to ask better questions unlocks everything else. Develop this skill, and whole new worlds open up.

Or more importantly, if you can't set up a good question, you'll struggle to make any meaningful impact.

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