10 Questions Every Leader Should Ask Their Team to Elevate Performance But Rarely Do
Written by Mihaela Berciu, Architect of Leaders
Mihaela Berciu disrupts leadership norms with her Core Values Model™ and From Doing to Being Leadership Paradox. Her approach sparks transformative mental resets, helping leaders break limits, reclaim authority, and lead with unshakable confidence. Through bold coaching and unconventional strategies, she redefines modern leadership.
Most leaders think they’re asking the right questions.“How are things going?” “Do you have everything you need?” “Any updates?” The intention is there, but the impact often falls short.
Because behind those polite check-ins are conversations that never quite get to the truth. Frustrations go unspoken, talents stay hidden, and performance remains adequate, at best.
But leadership isn’t about managing the obvious. It’s about revealing the unseen.
It’s about asking the kind of questions that invite honesty, insight, and change, even when they’re uncomfortable.
Here are ten questions that do exactly that.
They shift dynamics, open space, and remind your team that their voice matters, and so does their experience.
The kinds of questions that elevate leadership from control to connection
1. What’s one thing I do that makes your job harder?
You may not even realise it, but that “quick Slack message” might feel like micromanagement. That “just checking in” could come across as pressure. Asking this requires courage. Receiving the answer requires openness. But growth starts here.
2. What’s the dumbest process we still follow?
Every team has one, a ritual that exists out of habit, not usefulness. Let them name it, and then let it go.
3. If you were running this team, what would you change tomorrow?
This isn’t about passing the reins. It’s about inviting perspective. Sometimes the best ideas live in the minds of the quietest voices.
4. When have you been frustrated with me, but didn’t say anything?
This one might sting. And that’s the point. You can’t build trust if honesty is off-limits. This question creates safety. It also prevents resentment from becoming culture.
5. What’s one thing you’re pretending to understand, but actually don’t?
Confusion rarely speaks up. It nods along in meetings and shows up as mistakes later. This question helps remove the shame of not knowing and normalises curiosity.
6. What’s something you’re great at that you’re not using in your role?
Hidden talent often goes unnoticed, not because it’s not there, but because no one asks. You might just uncover someone’s zone of genius.
7. Where do you feel like we’re playing small as a team?
This shifts the focus from meeting expectations to unlocking potential. It invites bold thinking and raises the ceiling for what’s possible.
8. What should I stop measuring because it’s not actually helping us?
Not all KPIs are created equal. Invite your team to tell you what feels meaningful and what feels like noise.
9. What’s the one thing that would make you quit tomorrow?
Don’t wait for the exit interview to discover what could have been prevented. Ask now, and be ready to do something about it.
10. If you could rewrite your job, what would it look like?
This isn’t about letting go of structure. It’s about letting go of assumptions. Roles evolve. People grow. Why not grow together?
The leaders who ask these questions win
Because they care more about truth than comfort.
They don’t ask to tick a box; they ask to build something better.
They know that behind every honest answer is an opportunity:
To connect more deeply.
To perform more meaningfully.
To lead more powerfully.
And yes, asking these questions can feel vulnerable. But that vulnerability creates trust. And trust? That’s where real performance lives.
A new era of reflection is coming
For years, I’ve guided leaders to ask better questions, of their teams and of themselves.
And now, I’m building something to make that easier, more accessible, and always available.
Her name is MAI, an intuitive AI companion trained to reflect language, illuminate patterns, and bring clarity to leadership conversations.
She’s not here to replace humans, she’s here to support them.
To make space for questions like these, and the answers that follow.
If you’re ready to lead from a deeper place, you’ll want to meet her soon.
Read more from Mihaela Berciu
Mihaela Berciu, Architect of Leaders
With almost two decades of experience coaching senior executives and business owners, Mihaela Berciu challenges conventional leadership with bold, unconventional strategies. A Cambridge University-certified coach with an MBA from the American International University and studies at Oxford, she rejects quick fixes in favour of deep, lasting transformation. Her ground-breaking methodologies - the Core Values Model™ and From Doing to Being Leadership Paradox - trigger transformative mental resets, dismantling dated narratives, empowering leaders to reclaim their authority. She doesn’t just refine leadership, she reinvents it, because with Mihaela, leadership isn’t just influence, it’s legacy.
