The Hidden Leadership Skill That 90% Ignore (But Top Influencers Master)

⏳ Read Time: Less than 4 min.

I’m super excited to welcome you to this week’s edition of The Winning Edge—your go-to space for tools, tactics, and mindset shifts that give you a sharper edge in leadership and communication.

Ever been in a meeting where someone quietly took control of the room without dominating the conversation? That’s not charisma—it’s a learnable skill. This week, I’m pulling back the curtain on one of the most underused leadership tools out there (and no, it’s not more confidence or speaking louder).

Let’s get into it 👇
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This Week’s Insights

✅ The Hidden Leadership Skill That 90% Ignore – How questions build more influence than answers
✅ The Strategic Question Loop – A 3-step method to steer conversations like a pro
✅ The Art of Silent Authority – Subtle habits that amplify presence and power
✅ Copilot for PowerPoint – The new tool that builds decks from your brain (basically)
✅ AI Tool of the Week – Capture, summarize, and pull quotes from Zoom meetings effortlessly

THE MAIN EVENT
🎤 The Hidden Leadership Skill That 90% Ignore

Ever noticed how the best leaders don’t need to say much to shape a conversation?

Here’s the secret:
They ask better questions.

Not more questions—better ones.

🗝️ Strategic questioning is the fastest path to influence that feels natural, not forced.

Top leaders don’t win by dominating. They win by guiding. And questions are the steering wheel.

🎯 The Strategic Question Loop
Here’s a technique to start using immediately:

1️⃣ Start with Curiosity
“What’s the biggest risk we’re not thinking about yet?” This shows humility and sparks critical thinking.

2️⃣ Elevate the Stakes
“What would an outstanding result actually look like?” This pushes the group to aim higher.

3️⃣ Transfer Ownership
“If this was your call, how would you move forward?” This builds buy-in and accountability.

💥 It’s subtle. It’s powerful. And best of all, it makes you look like the leader—even when you’re not “leading” the room.

QUICK HITTERS: Fast Wins for the Week

💡 Tip of the Week: Questions that start with “What if…” are powerful for unlocking creativity and new solutions.

📊 Stat of the Week: Leaders who ask 3+ strategic questions per meeting are rated as 2x more effective by peers and direct reports (Harvard Business Review, 2023).

🎭 Power Move: The next time someone asks you a question, answer with a question that reframes the issue. It positions you as a strategic thinker.

📖 Recommended Read: “A More Beautiful Question” by Warren Berger – A masterclass in how powerful questions change businesses, teams, and outcomes.

WEEKLY DEEP DIVE
The Art of “Silent Authority”

The loudest voice isn’t always the most respected.
Real influence? It often comes from intention, not volume.

3 Under-the-Radar Behaviors That Build Instant Gravitas:

1. Listen Like a Leader
   Forget waiting your turn to talk. Listen for what’s not being said. Then reflect that insight back. It makes people feel understood—and they’ll see you as someone who “gets it.”
   

2. Narrate Your Decisions
   Don’t just announce what you’re doing—explain the thought process behind it. This creates clarity and builds trust.
   
   Try: “Here’s how I came to this decision—and why I believe it’s right.”

3. Micro-Mirroring
   Match the other person’s pace, tone, or posture subtly. It creates subconscious rapport and makes your message easier to receive.

✅ Use even one of these, and you’ll feel your presence shift—without saying a word.

AI TIP OF THE WEEK

📌 Tool: Tome.app

What It Does: AI-powered storytelling presentations

Drop in your topic or outline, and it transforms dry content into visually engaging, narrative-rich slides with zero design skills needed.

💡 Use Case:
Upload a bland deck or outline → Ask it to “make this more persuasive” → Watch it add metaphors, visuals, and structure to match audience psychology.
Bonus: It integrates beautifully with Notion and Figma.

💻 Copilot for PowerPoint Presentations: News This Week

Storyboard Assist

Now, Copilot can take meeting notes, voice memos, or even a rough prompt and turn them into a structured, visual slide flow—complete with suggested transitions and visuals.

💡 Prompt Example:

“Create a 6-slide pitch for investors introducing a new product, with a story-driven intro and a visual ROI slide.”

🧠 Bonus: You can now choose presentation styles (persuasive, informative, executive-ready) before it builds the deck.

🎯 Perfect for execs who need a polished starting point in under 2 minutes.

👉 Download the complete guide here and let CoPilot do the heavy lifting while you shine on stage.

ACTION STEPS & COMMUNITY QUESTION

✅ Your challenge this week:
In your next leadership conversation, try swapping one answer for a strategic question using the Question Loop.

Did it shift the conversation? Did people respond differently?

Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to share your story in a future edition!

🙌 And if this sparked a new idea or mindset, forward it to a friend who leads or influences teams. [Share The Winning Edge]

P.S.
Next week, we’re diving into a mindset shift that transforms frustration into momentum—and helps you stay resilient when things go sideways. It’s not just “think positive”… it’s way more effective.

Keep building your edge—one conversation at a time.

YOUR OPINION MATTERS!

If you have more feedback or just want to get in touch, respond to this email, and we’ll get back to you!

Thanks for reading!

Until next week!

Mary Beth