The Art of Powerful Questions: Catalyzing Insight, Innovation, and Action

This seminal work explores how asking the right questions can unlock creativity, drive innovation, and foster meaningful dialogue within organisations and communities. Drawing on real-world examples—from Nobel Prize discoveries to corporate turnarounds—it emphasises that powerful questions are those that stimulate reflection, challenge assumptions, invite diverse perspectives, and catalyse action.

The authors outline three key dimensions of powerful questions:

Construction – framing open-ended, reflective inquiries rather than simple yes/no questions.

Scope – aligning the breadth of the question with the group's capacity to act.

Assumptions – recognising and, when needed, challenging the assumptions embedded in the question.

The guide also introduces the "Game Plan" process to systematically apply strategic inquiry in organisations and showcases case studies from companies like HP and Pfizer to demonstrate the transformative impact of this approach.

Ultimately, the book positions inquiry as a core leadership and organisational capability—essential for navigating complexity, creating shared meaning, and enabling systemic change.