One leadership team I have the privilege of working with routinely asks each other and members of their teams the following four questions:

1. How are you doing? I recently heard two managers described this way: One manager asks, “WHAT are you doing,” while the other asks, “HOW are you doing?” It should not surprise anyone that the second manager wielded great influence on his team, while the first was viewed with disfavor.
2. How can I help you? By being intentional in asking this question, we shift our focus to our team members and away from ourselves. And, we place ourselves in the role of truly serving the members of our team.
3. What can we celebrate today? Surveys of non-management employees routinely confirm that the number one driver of workplace satisfaction is not the level of compensation, but rather having a sense of being appreciated for the work performed.
4. How can we get better together? This question is grounded in the belief that we routinely obtain the best outcomes by collaborating toward shared goals.

These four simple questions—asked regularly and intentionally of each other and our respective team members—possess the power to accelerate our effectiveness as leaders. They can transform the culture of any organization.