Curiosity: The Leadership Superpower
“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” Of course Albert Einstein believes in curiosity! It is a part of being a scientist. What about the “real” world? How does curiosity play a role in leadership? What are some of the benefits of curiosity? If curiosity killed the cat, what caution should accompany the desire to be curious? Is it really a superpower?
Beginning with curiosity
Edgar Schein indicated that there are two main issues with upward communication in organizations: leaders shoot the messenger or fail to take any action. His solution? Get curious about both the message and the messenger. Curiosity builds trust, which leads employees to share valuable information with leaders that solves problems. Schein labeled the leadership trait of curiosity “humble inquiry.”
Michael Bungay-Stanier wrote two best selling books that share a similar message about curiosity. In The Coaching Habit, Bungay-Stanier insists that leaders stop asking questions and stay curious. By asking questions and not giving advice or answers, leaders increase autonomy and mastery. Asking questions builds problem solving capacity in teams.
Why did curiosity kill the cat?
This proverb has stood the test of time. What about curiosity leads to bad things? For starters, leaders need to be curious about the right things. A leader may ask all kinds of questions and seek information from the team, but if that curiosity is trivial or off topic, it does not build trust or lead to a solution. Curiosity about the wrong things may damage trust.
Curiosity is also harmful when it investigates unnecessarily. Being curious about areas or processes that are working may lead to team members feeling under suspicion. This same feeling of suspicion can occur when curiosity is not a regular part of a leader’s routine. When putting curiosity into practice, it may take some time for team members to realize questions about performance don’t always lead to consequences.
What are other benefits of curiosity?
In today’s world there are massive amounts of information available. Curiosity means a leader will take the time to sift through the noise and determine what is helpful. A lack of curiosity would lead to valuable information for team members, customers, or the company to be missed.
In today’s work world with some workers in the office and some remote, curiosity helps bridge the gap when there is not a physical proximity. Instead of a quick exchange of facts, curiosity builds a conversation and connection. Connection built through curiosity breaks down the defensive barriers that rise when problems happen.
Curiosity slows down the Ready, Aim, Fire process. When a crisis occurs, there is a default tendency to take action to resolve the issue. Curiosity adds a pause in the process that allows a team to focus on what the right questions are to ensure the action taken addresses the right issue. Imagine the first tool you see is a hammer when your laptop is frozen. Curiosity asks if this is the right tool for this problem.
How do I cultivate more curiosity?
For curiosity to be effective and meaningful, it must be sincere. Asking a bunch of questions is not curiosity; it’s annoying. Curiosity involves asking questions and listening to the answers. It means caring about the answer as well as the person giving the answer. It builds connections and relationships, not just answers that make the machine run smoother.
Curiosity is not limited to scientists and creatives. Curiosity is an essential part of good leadership. It may or may not be a superpower, but it is important to realize companies with curious leaders perform better. That should spark your curiosity.
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