Bill SituClub President You've probably experienced at some point in time in the past. You ask a question, and the person responding to you tells you (either explicitly or implicitly), that the question you had just asked was stupid. I've had this experience before. Regardless of how other people respond to your questions, let me assure you that there is no such thing as a stupid question. In fact, asking a question is both an intelligent move and one that shows leadership. Nobody Can Fully Read Others' MindsYou are the person who knows the best about what's on your own mind. Nobody else can better understand your thoughts. When you ask a question, you make it known to whomever you're asking that you don't understand. This way, you can get the information that you need. If you never ask questions, nobody will be aware that you don't know something but want to know! All of us have questions about something. In fact, in certain professions, asking questions is the bread and butter of the work you do. These include human resources, journalism, academia, among others. In these professions, you simply can't get away with asking questions! The reason behind why we ask questions is seemingly very common sense, yet some people choose to avoid asking. One important reason is that people are afraid of others' judgments like how I mentioned at the beginning. Still, I can assure you that you need not ever be afraid. Asking a question is always a smart and correct move. Nobody should ever think of your question as "ridiculous", "stupid", etc. Such a way of thinking only shows ignorance on their part. Asking questions is leadership!Yes, you read the subtitle correctly — asking questions is indeed an act of leadership.
Just this past meeting, we elected our new slate of club officers for the coming term. At the end of the meeting, many of the newly elected club officers asked me questions related to their specific job duties as club officers. I am resuming my role as president in July, and from a president's point of view, this was wonderful to see. Recall from one of my previous posts that everyone has a role to play in a team setting. Do your part correctly, and you do a favour for the team. However, do your part incorrectly, and you could let your team down. I think it's quite obvious which one you'd prefer. When you ask for help when you need it, you're more likely to do what is right for the team. You need not even be a club officer to understand this. Let's suppose that there's a new role that you have to take on at an upcoming meeting. You've never done that role before and aren't sure what it entails. This is perfectly acceptable. Nobody expects you to be an expert when you do something for the first time. Still, if you care to do well, you'll make the effort to learn. Asking Toastmasters who are familiar with the role is a good first step. I myself have personally instructed numerous Toastmasters on how to take on different meeting roles. I can positively say that those who actively approach me for guidance tend to be the ones who will more likely have a strong start. They are also the ones who make the meetings successful in the end. These Toastmasters are the example for you to follow. Actively asking questions is a form of leadership because you are showing initiative. You're making the effort to do what is in the best interest of your team. It also show that you value learning. Trust me — your team members will appreciate this at the end of the day.
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August 2020
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