Curiosity doesn’t tend to be top of the competence pile when it comes to leaders or employees but perhaps it should be for it is a quality that drives the best possible outcomes and fuels progress.
Of course, curiosity is a mind-set and it often gets parked in the interests of speed, efficiency and meeting targets for it requires us to slow down and give our full attention so that the powerful questions that flow from an inquiring mind can be formed and expressed.
As leaders, most of us are aware of the power of questions whether exploring a thorny issue, reaching for new ideas, or building capability.
We can accelerate others’ development and empowerment by moving from telling to asking when the people we lead bring us issues. This more coaching style helps people create their own solutions for which they take greater ownership. Resisting our need to have, or others’ expectations we should have, the answer isn’t easy but a worthwhile choice.
A spirit of inquiry can help us challenge the status quo – those structures, practices, norms that have crystallised around us and the organisation without us noticing, and act as a brake on progress. As philosopher Bertrand Russell said: ‘In all affairs it’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on things you have long taken for granted.’ And, without questions, especially the question ‘what if?’ innovation would be a dream rather than reality.
And we can apply curiosity to ourselves too. Holding our inquiry in deep reflection can connect us to a higher and deeper source of wisdom and bring forward new and surprising solutions, offering guidance and support when we’re leading in the increasingly uncharted waters of organisational life.
If we want better don’t we need to become way more curious?