Discover the 3 powerful questions every leader should ask themselves weekly to transform their impact. Boost your strategic leadership skills with this simple ritual.

Do you ever feel like you’re spending all your time putting out fires or endlessly responding to Slack, while your big-picture vision for your team keeps getting pushed to the back burner? Believe me, I’ve been there. Just the other day, I caught myself buried in busy work when I really needed to be focusing on the strategic moves that would set my team up for long-term success.

That’s when I paused and asked myself three key questions that I’ve found have the power to get me out of my todo list and back into the visionary leader that makes an impact. Today, I want to share those questions with you, because I’ve seen firsthand how they can make a big difference for your leadership and your team’s results.

Question 1: What Would the Best Strategic Leader Version of Me Do Today?

It’s so easy to get stuck in reactive mode – firing off emails, jumping into fix-its, juggling conflicting priorities. But the Strategic You has her eyes on the long term:

• Are you empowering your team through effective delegation?
• Are you advancing the outcomes that will matter six months from now?

💡 Leadership Tip: Each week, block off sacred Strategy Time. Use it to map out 2-3 proactive leadership moves, like reflecting on what you can improve for your team or customers, or exploring who in the organization you should spend more time partnering with.

Why It Matters: When you shift into high-level thinking, you’ll start identifying opportunities and solutions you might have missed in the scramble.

Question 2: What Does My Team Really Need From Me Right Now?

It’s easy to blur the lines between what you might be in the mood for versus what the team truly needs. But real leadership means tackling the hard stuff:

• Maybe you’re overdue for a tough conversation with a stakeholder, but you’ve been putting it off.
• Maybe your team is blocked on a key initiative, but it’s on you to clear the path.

💡 Leadership Tip: Survey your team on the top 3 challenges holding them back. Then relentlessly prioritize knocking down those barriers. Watch how fast motivation and results soar when your team feels heard..

Why It Matters: Centering your decisions on the organization’s needs lets you lead with clarity and courage. By tackling tough issues and removing blockers, you enable your team to thrive.

Question 3: How Would I Act If I Already Felt Confident/Empowered/In Control?

When we feel overwhelmed or insecure, it’s tempting to shrink back from challenges like high-stakes presentations or stretch assignments. But I’ve found that simply asking “What would I do if I already felt totally empowered?” can be a powerful mindset shift.

Suddenly, you realize the only thing really holding you back was fear. And that’s when you can take the exact bold actions needed to rise into your leadership potential.

💡 Leadership Tip: The next time you hesitate on a big move, pause and visualize yourself taking action from a place of total confidence and success. Notice how your perception of the “risk” changes. Then take that first brave step!

Why It Matters: Recognizing the emotional roadblocks helps you make decisions from a place of power instead of a place of fear. Once you know fear is the reason you’re hesitating, you can address it head-on.

Now, here’s the real secret: The magic happens when you ask these questions as part of a consistent leadership practice – not just when things feel off.

I’ve gotten in the habit of checking in with these questions every single Friday afternoon. It’s become a ritual for me – a way to step back from the daily whirlwind, reconnect with my bigger purpose, and make sure I’m showing up as the leader I want to be.

Since I started doing this weekly check-in, I’ve noticed a huge shift in my ability to stay focused on the strategic moves that really matter, instead of getting pulled into reactive mode.

So my challenge to you is this: Block off 30 minutes on your calendar right now to ask yourself these three questions. Then, make it a recurring event every week.

I know it might feel like one more thing to squeeze in, but I promise you, this is the kind of self-reflection that separates the good leaders from the truly great ones. It’s how we make sure we’re not just tackling our to-do list, but actually moving the needle in a big way.

I’m sharing this with you today because I know the impact this practice has had for me and so many of the incredible women leaders I work with.

Share your thoughts—and let me know how it goes the next time you ask yourself one of these questions at a pivotal moment. I’d love to celebrate your breakthrough with you – or talk you through the tough stuff. We’re in this together.

You might be interested in reading Strategic Leadership Planning: Mapping Out Your Leadership Goals for the New Year

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