By Michael Bungay Stanier
As a coach, I am a big believer in questions. And if you really believe that, you must necessarily believe that advice is overrated.
The author of this book, Michael Bungay Stanier, agrees with me, and his newest book proves it.
I’ve known Michael for a number of years – he is a smart guy and I am a big fan. Among his many accolades is that he is a Rhodes Scholar and in 2006 was named Canadian Coach of the Year.
I share those two facts together because they are instructive in conjunction with the thesis of this book. Being a great coach isn’t simply about being smarter and having better advice. It is about using questions intelligently to help the person you are coaching understand their situation and discover solutions.
Specifically, this book is written around seven questions that Michael recommends. He provides each question and explores the use of that question, and why it is so powerful in a way that both informs and encourages the reader to begin using it.
While I’m not going to share the seven questions here – I will tell you they are simple and powerful, and that as you incorporate them into your life and work it will, as the title promises, “change the way you lead forever.”
This is a book I have now read twice. It will no doubt be one of the most useful books I read this year. And as an author, I give it the highest praise I can: I wish I had written it myself.
If you are coach or want to be; read this book.
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