The Top 21 Questions Every Business Leader should ask

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Alistair’s Top 21 Questions from 17 years of Business Reviews

Over the years I have found that the business leaders who wholeheartedly address these questions are by far the most successful business leaders I know.
It all came about as I was having a clear out in my office and I was going through 17 years worth of business coaching and mentoring journals which includes business reviews with hundreds of CEOs, business leaders, owners and entrepreneurs ….. I was inspired to collate and share what my client’s results over many years indicate are the highest quality questions business leaders can ask in a business review.

“Addressing the highest quality questions is the difference between mediocrity & success”


1- What are the authentic core values of your business?

2- What is your business vision and how clear and inspiring is it?

3- What is your clear & compelling business’ (and individual) ‘elevator pitch’?

4- What are your current big goals and strategic priorities and why? (Note: You may need to review these after you have addressed further quality questions)

5- How comprehensive and up to date is your research of your market conditions and the needs of your ideal client? (How can this research be improved?)

6- Are you clear about the (Avatar) profile of your ideal client / customer?

7- What is the state of your current and projected sales pipeline? What improvements can you make to acquire and convert more sales leads?

8- Is your cash flow forecast for the coming year healthy and sustainable? AND realistic?

9- How can both your profitability and your cash flow for the coming year be improved?

10- How clear are your team members about your business’ highest priorities and the reciprocal linked highest priorities of their individual roles?

11- Are the right stakeholders involved in creating your future? (e.g., Are their values and capabilities aligned?) What priority improvements do you need to make regarding team members (e.g., management, training, recruiting etc.)?

12- How can you most easily and effectively increase both the levels of performance and the morale of your team members?

13- Where are your immediate opportunities & priorities for increasing performance?

14- How effectively are you measuring your performance, what are your KPIs? And how can ‘how you currently measure performance’ be improved?

15- What priority improvements do you need to make regarding service delivery?

16- What priority improvements do you need to make regarding processes and systems?

17- What improvements and innovations has your business delivered in the last six months and what innovations are you planning in the next six months?

18- What current level of BELIEF do you and your team have about the future of your business? (Each team member can provide a score out of 10)

19- What current level of COMMITMENT does each team member have to help build your business? (Apply your score out of 10)

20- What does the business need to let go of, to move forward, and why?

21- What human factors including emotions, stress and ego are not being effectively addressed?

Please share this document with any business leaders you know who it might help.

Do you need help addressing these questions?
Please email me on info@certainprogress.com with any feedback or questions you have, and if  you would like to request a complimentary discovery call. 

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