This advice is for both leaders and non-leaders: Don’t be afraid to ask the obvious question in a meeting. Don’t assume it’s too basic or everyone else already knows the answer. Chances are, other people are wondering the same thing—they’re just not willing to ask.
Sometimes, the most basic and obvious questions are actually the best ones.
When we work on a project, things can get overcomplicated. We don’t mean to do it—it just happens. We keep adding details and bringing in new information, and before long, it gets messy. That slows us down and hurts performance.
That’s why it’s so important to stop and go back to the basics. What seems obvious might actually be the thing we need to focus on. It helps bring us back to the core of what really matters. So don’t be afraid to ask that question.
And for leaders, but also anyone: if someone asks a question you think is obvious, answer it with patience. They’re asking because they don’t know. It doesn’t matter if you know the answer. It doesn’t matter if most of the room knows. If they’re in the room, it’s because they bring value. We don’t put people in meetings to fill seats.
Give people the grace to ask. Answer with patience and respect. If you make someone feel bad for asking, they’ll stop asking. And that’s a problem. We need questions. We need clarity. I’ve made that mistake before myself, and it’s something I still work on. It’s a great reminder.
This also reminds me of a podcast I listened to recently. Lee Strobel, the author of The Case for Christ, was on The Sean Ryan Show. I hadn’t really listened to Sean Ryan before, but I saw Lee Strobel was a guest and wanted to check it out.
Sean Ryan is newer in his faith, while Lee Strobel has been strong in his faith for over 40 years. Sean asked some basic questions—but I was so impressed with the way Lee answered them. He showed so much grace. He answered with real excitement, like it was the first time he’d heard the question—because for Sean, it was the first time. The questions were real and honest, and Lee met them with understanding and care.
That really struck me. I thought: How can I bring that same mindset to work? How can I model it myself and teach others to do the same?
No matter the question, if someone doesn’t know, they need to feel free to ask. And we need to answer—because they truly don’t know, and we all need help sometimes.
Let’s be bold, ask obvious questions, and give others the space to do the same.
