Leading with Humble Inquiry

Scripture — Philippians 2:3-5 (CEB)

Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus.

Devotion

In yesterday’s Life for Leaders devotion, I wondered, “Can Effective Leaders Be Humble?” Scripture, and especially the example of Christ in Philippians 2, calls us to humility. But will acting humbly enable us to be effective leaders? Much in our culture says “No.” Influence requires self-promotion; the more the better. But, as we saw, there are respected leadership experts who commend humility, for example, Edgar Schein and Peter Schein in their book, Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust. They argue that humble leadership is needed today more than ever, given the complexity of the world in which we live and lead. We need to be humble enough to listen to and learn from our colleagues and subordinates.

Humble Leadership(2023) wasn’t the first book published by Edgar Schein with the word “humble” in it. A decade earlier, in 2013, he released Humble Inquiry : The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling. This book, now with Peter Schein as a co-author, is in its third edition. It focuses on one specific dimension of Humble Leadership, namely, Humble Inquiry.

What is humble inquiry? The Scheins define it this way:

An Art
Humble Inquiry is the fine art of drawing someone out, of asking questions to which you do not already know the answer, of building a relationship based on curiosity and interest in another person.

An Attitude
Humble Inquiry is not just asking questions; it is a total attitude that includes listening more deeply to how others respond to our inquiry, responding empathically, and revealing more of ourselves in the relationship-building process (p. 3).

Too often, we think of leaders as people who have the answers and who boldly tell their followers how to think and what to do. They do not practice Humble Inquiry, perhaps because they are arrogant, but perhaps because they believe that leaders should have all the answers. Humble leaders, on the contrary, understand their limitations and recognize their need to listen to others. They ask, not just any old questions, but thoughtful, probing questions, questions that delve into reasons and not just facts. As the Scheins explain,
Humble Inquiry is primarily concerned with creating conversations and relationships that reveal why things are going the way they are going—deeper truths, alternative facts notwithstanding, are learned in those critical contextual details (p. xii).

I would not claim to be an expert in the practice of Humble Inquiry, not by a long shot. But when I reflect on my 40-plus years in various leadership roles, I have seen a shift in my sense of how I can be an effective leader. Early on, I truly believed that I needed to impress others with my ideas, which were, I would confess, quite impressive to me. In meetings with peers, subordinates, and superiors, I would think hard about how to say things that were wise. These days, I still want to be thought of as a good leader. But in meetings and other conversations, I find myself talking much less, listening much more, and asking more questions.

I have been encouraged in my growth as a humble, question-asking leader by others with whom I have worked. I think, for example, of Uli Chi, PhD, author of The Wise Leader, retired founder/leader of a software company, board chair at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, and longtime member of the De Pree Center advisory board. Uli, as you may know, was also a prolific writer for Life for Leaders for many years. Because of our board relationship that grew into a friendship, I’ve spent hours and hours talking with Uli about work, leadership, church, culture, family, and you-name-it.

In The Wise Leader, Uli writes, “One of wisdom’s key attributes is the ability to watch and listen carefully” (p. 29). He admits this is not easy to do. “Learning to hear well is difficult,” he says, before pointing us to the exhortation of the book of James, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19). I agree with Uli that “learning to hear well is difficult,” but I would add something that Uli, a truly humble leader, did not mention. He is for me an exemplar of Humble Inquiry. No matter the context, whether in a board meeting, a coaching call, or a personal Zoom meeting, Uli asks questions, thoughtful questions, sometimes unexpected questions. But he doesn’t just ask. Rather, he listens carefully and thoughtfully. He genuinely cares about what others think and feel, including me. And when he shares an opinion, he does so in a way that is both wise and encouraging of the contributions of others. His personal openness allows others to feel free to be open as well.

For years, I have thought that I want to be more like Uli in asking good questions. Now I have a nifty phrase that describes what I’d like to become more proficient in: Humble Inquiry. I’m quite sure doing this will enable me to be a better worker, writer, and leader. But I’ve also learned that practicing Humble Inquiry makes a difference in other contexts, especially in my relationships with family and friends. When I care about what others think and feel, and when I ask questions that deepen the conversation, my family and friends feel respected and loved. Plus, I often learn things that matter both to them and to me.

As you may know, I’ve been focusing my recent devotions on humility because Philippians 2 connects humility with seeking what’s good for others. Edgar Schein and Peter Schein, in their writings, help us grasp the value of Humble Leadership, of which Humble Inquiry is a crucial element. If we want to live and lead for the good of others, then we will learn to listen well to them, asking penetrating questions as an expression of our genuine interest in and desire to learn from them.

P. S. Back in January 2026, I wrote several devotions on the theme: Developing a Discerning Heart. One of these devotions focused on “Developing a Heart that Listens to People.” Based on the prayer of Solomon, in which he asked for a discerning heart, I suggested that listening well to others is essential for discernment. If you’re interested, you might want to check out that devotion.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the High Calling archive, hosted by the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Attitude Adjustment.