If I can ask you for one thing, it will be ‘Ask Questions’ because if there’s anything that can truly shift conversations, systems, and cultures – it’s the courage to ask questions.
Curiosity is not a weakness. It’s a signal that you care, that you’re paying attention. If you’re listening, reading, or observing and don’t feel compelled to question, challenge, or clarify – you might just be going through the motions. Don’t let fear or self-doubt silence you.
Yes, people might laugh. Some might assume you don’t know enough. Sometimes, even you might feel silly for asking. But that’s how it begins. With time, you’ll learn to ask sharper, deeper, and more purposeful questions. And you’ll learn to direct them to the right people.
Asking questions isn’t just about getting answers – it’s about awakening thought, and opening space for new ideas. Sometimes, a single question can bring clarity to confusion, or introduce a completely new dimension to a conversation. Even the smartest people may not have considered what you see.
When you stay silent to appear agreeable or to avoid discomfort, you don’t preserve harmony – you weaken the culture of honesty and learning. Silence can be mistaken for alignment. Worse, it can be used to protect power.
The ones who worry about questions are often those who’ve used their position or influence for personal gain. They benefit the most from silence and push back the hardest when asked to explain.
Leadership that thrives on suppression, intimidation, or silence isn’t leadership – it’s control.
True leaders are revealed in meetings where questions flow freely, not in rooms where people stay silent for hours and then applaud authority. When people don’t feel safe to question you, they no longer see you as a guide – they see you as a barrier.
So to everyone in every role, at every level:
Ask the question. Even the uncomfortable one. Especially the necessary one.
Ask for understanding, for accountability, for truth. That is how systems improve, and cultures stay honest and human.
Remember! If no one is asking you anything anymore, it’s not a sign of respect – it’s a sign they’ve given up on you. You’re already being ignored.