Asking Better Questions for Leadership Success

In business and in life, the smartest people aren’t always the ones with the best answers, they’re the ones who know how to ask better questions. Curiosity is more than just a trait, it’s a superpower that builds trust, reveals hidden insights, and sparks innovation. Yet in today’s fast paced world, many leaders skip over curiosity in favor of speed, ego, or fear of looking unprepared.

In this episode, James Taylor shares how a simple game called Only Questions sharpened his listening skills and transformed casual conversations into powerful breakthroughs. From uncovering industry secrets on long haul flights to learning strategies that shaped global keynotes, he reveals how to use the curiosity gap to your advantage. If you’ve ever wondered how to shift conversations, open new opportunities, and lead with impact, it all starts with the questions you ask.

🎙️ Top 5 Soundbites:

“The smartest leaders aren’t the ones with the best answers — they’re the ones who ask better questions.”
“Curiosity is a superpower that builds trust and unlocks hidden insights.”
“The curiosity gap makes our brains restless — and great communicators know how to use it.”
“Most breakthroughs don’t come from answers, they come from asking the right questions.”
“A single powerful question can change the direction of an entire conversation.”

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Asking Better Questions for Leadership Success

Takeaways

Curiosity is a superpower that builds trust, reveals insights, and sparks innovation.
Playing the Only Questions game sharpens listening skills and strengthens conversations.
The curiosity gap: The space between what we know and want to know — drives engagement and attention.
Ego, speed, and fear are the main barriers that stop leaders from asking better questions.
Breakthroughs often come from questions, not answers, as they change conversations and uncover hidden opportunities.
Sharpen curiosity by asking follow ups, listening for surprises, and keeping a running list of great questions.

In his upcoming book, James Taylor delves into the transformative concept of SuperCreativity™—the art of amplifying your creative potential through collaboration with both humans and machines. Drawing from his experiences speaking in over 30 countries, James combines compelling stories, case studies, and practical strategies to help readers unlock innovation and harness the power of AI-driven tools. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to elevate their creativity and thrive in the modern age of human-machine collaboration.

James Taylor is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, often booked months or even years in advance due to his exceptional expertise. Given his limited availability, it’s crucial to contact him early if you’re interested in securing a date or learning how he can enhance your event. Reach out to James Taylor now for an opportunity to bring his unique insights to your conference or team.

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CHAPTERS

Timestamps:

00:00 – Opening Hook
Why attention spans matter and the 8-second rule.
00:45 – The Goldfish Myth
Microsoft’s study and what it says about modern focus.
02:00 – Research on Attention
Gloria Mark’s findings and the drop from 2.5 minutes to 47 seconds.
03:30 – Real-World Impact
King’s College survey and what shorter attention spans mean for communication.
05:00 – Capturing the First Eight Seconds
Stories, questions, and unexpected openings that grab attention.
07:00 – Attention Resets
How to re-engage audiences with tone shifts, visuals, and surprises.
09:00 – Competing Against Distractions
Why speakers must be intentional in the digital age.
11:00 – The 4-Step Framework
Practical strategies: script your opening, chunk content, add resets, deliver value.
13:00 – The Gift of Attention
How to respect focus and earn deeper engagement from your audience.

TRANSCRIPT

James Taylor (00:08) 8 seconds. That’s how long you have to capture someone’s attention before it drifts. You probably heard the goldfish comparison from Microsoft’s 2015 study. They claimed their attention spans have dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to just 8 seconds in 2013. Supposedly that makes us less focused than a goldfish. Now, whether that’s literally true or just a catchly headline, the point’s stuck. Our focus is under siege. Gloria Mark, a professor at UC Irvine, has tracked human attention for decades. Her team found that the average time that we spend focused on a single screen has dropped from 2.5 minutes in the early 2000s to just 47 seconds today. That’s less than a minute before our minds wander off or our fingers swipe to something else. And it’s not just the data. A 2023 survey by King’s College London found that nearly half of UK adults feel their attention spans have shortened in the past decade. And many believe that eight seconds is now the norm. So if you’re a speaker, a leader, a teacher, or anyone who needs to hold attention, you can’t ignore this. Eight seconds is your runway. If you use it well, you earn the next eight seconds and the next eight seconds. And before you know it, you’ve got them with you for the whole ride. When I walk onto a stage, those first few seconds are where I’m testing the waters. Did that opening line make someone look up? Did I see the phone go face down on the table? Did the body language in the front row shift from, I’m here because I have to, to, okay, you got my attention? Those cues tell me I passed the first test. Sometimes I’ll open with a story, like the time I was halfway through a talk in Manila and the power went out. It’s unexpected, it’s human, and it makes people wonder what happened next. Sometimes it’s a question. What do jazz musicians and AI engineers have in common? It’s unusual enough that people want to stick around to hear the answer. more images ⁓ than all human photographers have. in history. That one usually gets a raised eyebrow or two. Whatever the hook, my goal is the same. Break autopilot. But here’s the thing. Grabbing attention is the easy part. Keeping it now, that’s the craft. I use what I call attention resets. Every few minutes I change something. I might shift from telling a personal story to showing a powerful image. I might move from the center of the stage to the edge or lower my voice so the room has to lean in. Sometimes I’ll throw in a surprising statistic or ask a question that makes people stop and think. These resets are intentional. They’re the moments that pull people back from the brink of distraction. Think of it like driving on long road. If it’s a straight highway with nothing to look at, your mind starts to wander. But if the road curves or you pass through a town, or a song you love comes on the radio, your attention snaps back. Those changes keep you present. In a talk, I tried to create those curves and scenery changes on purpose. The reality is, we are competing against the most addictive attention machines ever built. Social media feeds, news apps, streaming platforms, they’re designed by teams and teams of engineers and behavioral scientists whose sole job is to keep you scrolling. If you’re communicating in that environment, you need to be just as intentional. That doesn’t mean dumbing things down. It means structuring your message in a way that works with human attention rather than against it. here’s my framework for thriving in the eight second world. Step one, script your opening eight seconds. Don’t wing it. Know exactly what you’re gonna say, show or do. Step two, break your content into short, high impact chunks. If it’s a 30 minute talk, think in three to five minute segments. Step three, build in attention resets. These can be changes in tone, visuals, pace, or even when you’re actually in the room. Step four, deliver value quickly. Give your audience a reason to keep investing their attention in you. One of my favorite moments on stage is where I spot that shift in the room. The phones go down, the notes taking starts, the heads nod in rhythm. That’s when I know we’re not just passing time together, we’re in it. And it all started with those first eight seconds. So the next time you’re in front of an audience, whether it’s a keynote, a team meeting, or even a one-on-one conversation, ask yourself, what am I going to do in my first eight seconds to earn the next eight? Because in this distracted world, attention isn’t guaranteed, it’s a gift. And if you respect it, people will give you more of it than you think.

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