INSTANT MBA: One CEO says these 3 'magic questions' make him a more effective leader

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May 28, 2015

Everybody has a different management style.

Rob Cromer, CEO of the advertising platform Adcade, likes to ask three "magic questions" to create transparent communication amongst his employees and effectively lead his team.

They aren't questions that he outwardly asks people; rather, they're a series of questions that he internalizes.

The strategy helps him understand the why behind the what.

"You have to understand why you are doing what you want to do, instead of just doing things instinctually," Cromer tells Business Insider. "If you understand the why, it leads to a better moving and growing organism."

Here are the three "magic questions" that he blocks off time to answer a couple of times each week:

1. "What am I not saying that needs to be said?"

If employees are not performing to their ability or producing results, oftentimes it is because the leaders at the top are not expressing themselves thoroughly.

"You forget to communicate to everyone around you and expect everybody to believe, understand, and know what you're thinking," explains Cromer. "The more you can communicate, the less confusion there will be."

2. "What am I saying that's not being heard?"

"Sometimes you're saying things, but it's not actually translating to action or understanding," says Cromer. "It is important to present your vision in a way that people can get behind it, act upon it, and be empowered by it."

If your goals are not being achieved, ask yourself whether or not you communicated clearly and whether they were heard.

3. "What's being said that I'm not hearing?"

This is the most important of the three questions, Cromer emphasizes. It's easy to get clouded by the day-to-day ruckus and forget to listen to the people surrounding you.

"If you're truly listening and having a conversation with somebody, you're going to get a lot of feedback out of it, even if they're not trying to outwardly give you feedback," he says. "These are the people you put in place and empowered to make decisions as your teammates. Listen to what they're saying."