Grow Strong Leaders Podcast

“What did a specific experience, like your time at [Company], teach you about [topic]?”

This is a frequent opening question used to ground the conversation in the guest's direct experience and establish their credibility.

“Were there any specific moments that taught you the importance of [a value, like listening]?”

She uses this to elicit a personal anecdote that reveals the origin of a guest's core leadership value.

“What emotions do you remember feeling in that moment?”

Bell often asks this after a guest shares a story about a past failure or challenge, probing the personal impact of professional life.

“How did it feel to achieve [a major goal] after the journey you'd been on?”

This question focuses on the personal satisfaction and emotional reward of overcoming a significant professional hurdle.

“What did another person's [positive action, like grace] teach you about your own leadership?”

This explores how leaders learn and model behavior from observing others, not just from their own actions.

“What is the impact on the team when a leader [takes a specific action]?”

This question explores the cascading effects of leadership behavior throughout an organization.

“How do you create an atmosphere that welcomes input or allows people to speak up?”

This question seeks practical techniques for building psychological safety, a core theme of the show.

“You've mentioned [a specific term]. What do you mean by that?”

A signature clarifying question used to unpack a guest's unique concepts or terminology, ensuring the audience understands.

“What would you say to a group of young leaders about developing [a skill like judgment]?”

She often asks for direct, actionable advice that can be passed on to the next generation of leaders.

“What are some companies doing well to help professionals with [a specific challenge]?”

This question seeks to surface positive examples and best practices that listeners can learn from.

“What are the consequences when [a negative trend] happens in an organization?”

This question is used to explore the real-world negative outcomes of poor leadership or cultural decay.

“As a [guest's role], what are you most concerned could happen regarding [a new trend like AI]?”

This frames a forward-looking question within the guest's specific area of professional expertise and responsibility.