Questions are for when you are struggling, or so we think
Commentators at the Australian Open could not work out why the world number three was asking her coaches questions. She was winning. That is exactly the point.
I am still a bit perplexed.
I was watching the Australian Open this year and something the commentators kept saying caught my attention.
Elena Rybakina, the world number three, was playing exceptionally well. She was focused, calm and in control.
And yet, twice, the commentators sounded puzzled that she was asking her coaches questions.
Why would she be asking questions when she is doing so well?
I actually wondered if I had misheard them. Then they said it again.
She is winning. What could she possibly need to ask?
And that is when it hit me.
Do we really believe questions are only for when we are stuck? For when something is not working? For when we do not know enough?
Because if that is true, we have misunderstood questions completely.
What if questions are not a response to failure but a strategy for staying sharp?
Just because something is working does not mean there is nothing to clarify, or to understand better.
In fact, success might be the most important moment to ask.
I see this with leaders all the time, especially the successful ones. When momentum is strong, they lose their sense of curiosity. They stop asking for feedback. Support starts to feel unnecessary. Questions get replaced with certainty.
I understand. Certainty feels powerful. It feels decisive. In control.
But certainty is often the moment we stop testing our assumptions.
Asking a question while things are going well is not weakness. It is calibration. It is how you stay sharp instead of just being confident. It is how you improve your edge.
So here is the discipline I have been thinking about. When you feel certain, that is your cue to ask one more question.
Not to hesitate. Not to second guess. But to see what you might otherwise miss.
Until next time,
Margalit
Curiosity and deep listening are my superpowers, gifts I inherited from my mother, an entrepreneur and Holocaust survivor who taught me that anything is possible when we challenge our limiting beliefs.
I believe our state of mind is an invisible line on our P&L statement, directly impacting our decision making, leadership, and bottom line results.
As an entrepreneur who grew and sold a seven figure wholesale linen business, I understand firsthand the challenges of building a company and changing course.
Today, I partner with founders, CEOs, and senior executives who are ready to raise their level of leadership while scaling their businesses. I serve as your trusted advisor and thought partner. Together, we will challenge limiting beliefs, improve resilience under pressure, and build the mental agility needed to lead with confidence, clarity, and purpose.