While there are many questions that good leaders ask, perhaps the most important one is "What do you care about?" Sounds simple but it really isn't. At least not if the leader is open to honest answers.

When a leader asks, "What do you care about?" she is concerned about what is important to an individual and how that aligns with what is important to the organization. Unfortunately, many organizations have not determined, at least not in an intentional manner, what is important to them. In addition, many leaders have not determined what is important to them personally.

Many recent authors on the topic of leadership emphasize the importance of personal, internal growth of the leader. This is what I refer to when I say many leaders have not determined what is important to them personally. Without this experience of personal growth, it is very difficult for the leader to help the organization grow in the less tangible ways. In other words, by experiencing personal growth, the leader "learns how to learn" in the intangible arena.

Personal growth of an individual leads to clarity. Stephen Covey emphasizes the importance of creating a personal mission statement. Exactly! A personal mission statement is the manifestation of the clarity that results from this internal growth. The same is true of an organization. In other words, an organization that has gone through the process of self-examination often has written its mission statement, or the statement of what the organization cares about.

OK. Now we have a leader who has grown personally. This results in the ability to help the organization grow and become more aware of what is important. Now, the leader is in a great position to ask employees what they care about. By asking this question with the willingness to truly listen to honest answers, the leader begins to know the organization from the inside out. The benefits are many.

Employees' answers to the question may confirm that they care about the same things the organization cares about. It may show that employees care about different things than the organization, but that the differing objectives can be compatible. It may bring the realization to employees that they REALLY don't want to be doing the job they hold.

In any of the three possible results from above, everyone wins. At a bare minimum, everyone has a much better understanding of what is important both personally and organizationally. Most likely, the information also presents the opportunity for individuals and the organization to realize as much potential as possible. If employees leave because they see a disconnect, more than likely the individual will go to a place that "fits" for them. This means they will be more successful, as will their new organization. The past organization will also win because they will hire a new employee who is in alignment with what the organization cares about.

"What do you care about?" may sound like just another "touchy-feely" concept. However, most leaders will tell you that THIS "touchy-feely" concept converts directly to improvement in the traditional, tangible measures. In other words, alignment of employees and the organization translates to success in the bottom line and other tangible measures.

Are you ready to begin asking "What do you care about?"