Socratic Leadership: Why Great Leaders Ask More Questions Than They Answer
Socrates didn’t stand at the front of the room delivering answers like a professor with a PowerPoint. He asked questions. Lots of them. Not to stump people, but to help them think more deeply so they could discover what they already knew.
In a way, he was less “expert” and more... doula. He didn’t do the pushing. He coached the process.
That might sound a little lofty for nonprofit work, but it’s not. In fact, some of the best nonprofit leaders I know act more like guides than gurus. They don’t assume their job is to provide the perfect answer in every board meeting or donor conversation. They show up with curiosity, and they trust their team enough to ask real questions.
{Pause! Sarah here!} Think Ted Lasso.
Ted walks into AFC Richmond as an American football coach (football is life!) who doesn’t know the rules. He’s out of his depth on strategy - but not on people. He doesn’t lead by authority. Instead, he leads by curiosity.
In one early scene, Ted plays darts against Rupert, who’s convinced Ted is highly unqualified. (Which, technically, he is!) But mid-match, Ted recalls how often people have underestimated him and then says:
“Guys have underestimated me my entire life. And for years I never understood why - it used to really bother me. But then one day I was driving my little boy to school and I saw this quote by Walt Whitman. It was painted on the wall and it said: ‘Be curious, not judgmental.’”
Ted goes on to say that if people had been curious and just asked questions, they might have learned something real about him.
That scene is classic Socratic leadership. Ted wins not by being the smartest guy in the room, but by seeing the room more clearly. Because he asks. Because he listens. Because he leads with questions that invite reflection instead of shutting it down.
That’s the kind of leadership nonprofits need. {Ok, back to John!}
In nonprofit life, the pressure to “have it all together” is real. Staff expect vision. The board expects results. Donors want reassurance. And somewhere in there, you’re supposed to also have a five-year strategic plan.
But what if leadership isn’t about having all the right answers?
What if it’s about knowing how to ask the right questions?
Instead of telling your board how to get involved, ask: What excites you about this mission?
Instead of handing your team a fundraising strategy, ask: What would make a donor feel truly connected to our cause?
Instead of solving the staff conflict for them, ask: What do you need to feel safe and heard in this conversation?
Asking thoughtful questions creates space. It invites reflection. And it signals to others: I trust your voice in this room. And if you recall from our previous blog posts, trust is crucial to innovation!
Socrates didn’t run a nonprofit. But he knew that truth is better discovered than dictated. As leaders, especially in mission-driven spaces, we could definitely benefit from taking a page out of his book!
So next time you're tempted to walk into the boardroom with answers, try walking in with questions instead. You might just unlock something deeper - something your team already knows, but hasn’t had the chance to say out loud.
Stay tuned for Part 2!
{Sarah AGAIN - PS John was too busy becoming a “doctor” that he’s never even seen Ted Lasso. What a weirdo!}
