“The literature focuses very heavily on giving the right answer. I learned quite early, and I think I learned this from one of my early bosses—the crucial element is asking the right question. There are few things quite as debilitating and disastrous is the right answer to the wrong question.
And so I learned fairly early to look for what are the key questions and that has really been the essence of my consulting activity—to help my clients ask the right questions and focus on the right questions. What are the right questions? How do you know? It changes the complexion of the situation. It makes you see—understand—the situation in a totally different light.
How do you know this is the right question? When you ask it, you experience a happiness, it’s the only word. Suddenly—yes happiness—but also, you can organize the whole situation around it. It's very risky, because if you ask the wrong question, nothing will work. And so there is no formula.
And I have seen very able and bright people who can’t ask the right question, or who have been told ‘this is the right question.’ Then they are very effective. But unless somebody says, ‘this is the right question,’ they stumble.
Can it be taught? There is a famous answer from one of the great chess masters who was asked, ‘can you be taught to be a chess master?’ He said, ‘Yes, if you already are one.’ I think that is the right answer.
What makes a great chess master? Nobody knows. They see something. If they don't see it, they'll never become even poor chess players. But—there is such a thing as nature and there is such a thing as nurture, and you need both.”