Seven Ways Curious Leaders Succeed
Question what you know; explore what you don’t.
Curiosity is a way of seeing.
4 powers of curious leadership:
Curious leaders:
- Lower resistance.
- Ignite energy.
- Expand potential.
- Explore possibility.
Lower resistance expand opportunity.
7 ways curious leaders succeed:
- Enable thinking from a new point of view. “What don’t you know?”
- Challenge assumptions. “How’s that working for you?”
- Reveal new capacities. “Did you know that you’re really good at…?”
- Expose unseen obstacles. “What if….?”
- Clarify ambiguities. “Could you help me understand …?”
- Share experience. “What has experience taught you?”
- Connect with others who have experience. “I wonder who might know about this?”
The world is filled with information, but curiosity solves problems.
Curiosity that clarifies mission:
- What need are you meeting?
- What problem are you solving?
- How does this connect with who you are?
- What’s the big picture?
- How will things be better if you succeed.
Curiosity is the beginning of knowing.
Curiosity that expands capacity:
- How are you currently impacting people around you?
- What have you learned from failure?
- Where do you have more to offer?
- Where might passion blind you to realities?
- How is past success limiting your thinking now?
You need curiosity more than information.
Curiosity that monitors and manages energy:
- What distracts you?
- What are you doing when joy fuels strength?
- Who or what do you need to let go?
- Who needs to be on the team? Why?
- How can you take a small step now?
Curiosity transforms.
Curiosity concerning grit:
- How did you press forward, the last time you felt like quitting?
- How do resistance and adversity expose what’s important?
- Who needs to be on the team? Why?
- What’s your purpose?
- What if you succeed?
Curiosity is better than knowledge as long as you know enough to ask good questions.
How is curiosity developed?
How might you be curious today?
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sometimes the question is how can we fix this to avoid the grind. I really think that’s the question that gets one promoted.
Thanks Bill. “HOw can we fix this?”
Don’t forget Bob the Builder, “Can we fix this?” — That question shifts thinking from why things won’t work to how to make them work.
right!
I’m always curious about how I can better structure (or unstructure) my daily routine to drive better performance and personal satisfaction. Then I think about how I can share that improvement experience with others in case even one tidbit might help.
Thanks James. YOu got me thinking about how a person who creates a structure impacts the entire group or organization. Powerful.
Dan,
“Curious” for me is getting knowledge or expertise that I need to accomplish tasks that I have not encountered before, searching for answers to unknown factors! Curious seems to fit the mold for many items on our Leadership plates as you so diligently described..
Thanks Tim. I like to think about curiosity as it relates to people more than things. Who can help? Who knows about this? Who has failed at this? Who has succeeded? … I like “who” questions.
I see! 🙂
Hi Dan: Love this blog and how you have outlined the value of curiosity as it relates to people. I would add that I have found to be curious one must be really attentive, focused on what is being said by others and the easiest way to do this is to be truly present in the moment – not thinking about the meeting an hour from now or what happened yesterday.
Also neuroscience has found curiosity causes the release of dopamine which leads to an increased heart mind connection and the release of oxytocin resulting in the curious person feeling good, connected and collaborative – even in times of conflict so curiosity can be pretty powerful. (Conversational Intelligence. Judith Glaser 2014)
I love the brain/feel-good connection to curiosity! I was going to comment that curiosity is what keeps me connected and interested in what we do here every day and here is a study that shows why that is. How cool!
curiosity did not kill the cat. it only allowed it to fill all nine lives…Bill
“Curious leadership” is such a powerful idea. Thanks for that! I imagine that it’s that lack of curiosity that sustains the status-quo lovers. It would be better to answer “But we’ve always done it this way!” with “Wouldn’t it be exciting to see what else we can do?”
Curiosity is important as we lead people to gain better understanding of what brings them to the group. Everyone has a different background, a good leader will know this and each ones unique talents. If we are not a curious leader we assume everyone has the same motivation and will quickly lose team members.
To me, there is no reason curiosity should not be front and center at all times!!!
Thanks jcbjr. If you ask me, curiosity, grit, and the ability to connect are the holy trinity of qualities to look for in others and to develop in ourselves.
Absolutely!!! Great combination.