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Leadership Lesson

“Why do you want to do what you want to do?

“Why do you want to do what you want to do?

In my interactions with clients, they come with an absolutely ‘clear ask’ on the requirement and want us to fulfil that ‘immediately’.

It is most comfortable for me to give them what they asked. However, I almost always pose this question.

“Why do you want to do what you want to do? Not that we cannot do that x thing that you ask for, but would love to understand the why of it is the right thing to do.”

7 in 10 times, during the process of discussion, their ‘clear ask’ has now changed a few times, and the new request is more practical and commonsensical. Sometimes that ‘urgent need’ itself is nullified, and I have possibly lost that ‘immediate business’ of what they were initially planning to give us.

I do this because I put myself into the shoes of my customer’s business. And gives me a vicarious experience of ‘being a core part of their business’ during those conversations.

That is the value I seem to bring to the table. It has often, at times, saved millions.
But more importantly, asking the right questions, seemed to be the right thing to do.

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