As a leader, one of the most important tasks is to ask the right and effective questions. According to Rick Williams, leadership expert, speaker and author of Create the Future: Powerful Decision-Making Tools for Your Company and Yourself, asking the right questions not only helps leaders navigate the future but also creates a powerful decision-making process based on consultation and discovery.

Why "Create the Future"
In an interview with *Forbes India*, Rick Williams shared that his book was born out of his experience as a management consultant at Arthur D. Little. While working with large organizations, he realized that when faced with important decisions, leaders often turn to consultants for guidance. However, this is not always possible for small and medium-sized businesses, non-profit organizations or government agencies with limited resources.

Therefore, Create the Future was born as a handbook to help leaders build a team of internal advisors, make important decisions without relying on outside experts. The book guides them on how to take advantage of available resources, develop strategic thinking and make informed choices.

"Create the Future" Thinking Framework
Williams proposes a four-step continuous process to help leaders navigate the future:

- Ask: Ask the right questions to identify the core issue
- Discover: Find out the influencing factors and necessary data
- Learn: Draw lessons from experience, research and successful models
- Decide: Make choices based on the information collected and analyzed

According to Williams, implementing this cycle continuously will help organizations adapt to change, develop strategic thinking and achieve solid progress.

Turn Your Leadership Team Into an Advisory Group
One of the key takeaways from the book is the importance of an internal leadership group. Rather than relying on just a few individuals to make decisions, Williams encourages leaders to tap into the collective wisdom of the group by building a group of trusted advisors. These people not only provide multiple perspectives but also help make the decision-making process more effective and comprehensive.

Conclusion
A leader is not just someone who gives orders, but more importantly, someone who knows how to ask the right questions to guide the organization. With *Create the Future*, Rick Williams provides a practical approach that helps leaders confidently make important decisions, even without the support of outside experts. The process of asking, discovering, learning, and deciding not only helps organizations adapt to a volatile business environment but also creates a solid foundation for long-term growth.