The Essential Role of Curiosity
On your leadership and life journey, an essential travel companion is your curiosity.
When you invite curiosity to join you on your journey, your defenses drop, your inner critic subsides, your “I know” or “I should know” is no longer such a dominant voice. Your openness and availability to others and yourself grows and deepens. As it does, you feel drawn further and further along to what is around the next bend.
Questions you can ask yourself and others to invite curiosity are:
I wonder … “Why do I believe that?” ”Is it true?” “Why did I do that?” “When did I stop doing that?” “How do other people experience me?” “What if I/we could … ?” “What do you think of that?” “Tell me more … ” “What is behind the question (being asked of me)?” “When did you notice?” “What can I/we learn from … ?” “How might I/we …?” “Is it possible that/to …?”
These are some of the undefended questions that curiosity asks.
Curiosity doesn’t judge, criticize, critique, or have answers. Curiosity is living the questions until the insights appear. Curiosity notices, is awake and aware. Curiosity takes an interest in what and who is around it and asks, “What can I learn from you?” Curiosity moves toward, not away from.
Curiosity is a bridge to the unknown.
Curiosity asks a question for clarification before reacting or responding—and we usually find out that we are reacting to something that we project onto the other person rather than what is really there.
Curiosity invites connection, ideas, innovation, intuition.
If you are a leader, curiosity is one of your most trusted allies. It will take you far.
Curiosity is interested in subtlety. It is the doorway to being present and available to yourself and for others. It will guide you to your insights, your deepest longings, and back to your true self.
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This is an excerpt from my book: InsideOut Enneagram: The Game-Changing Guide for Leaders and includes specific practices to bring more your curiosity your inner and outer conversations.
Susan Mazza
Love your description of all the things curiosity is Wendy. It is amazing how quickly you can turn the heavy feelings of frustration and stuckness into playfulness.
Wendy Appel
Thanks, Susan! You are so right. The moment I get curious is the moment I encounter the unexpected. Everything shifts. My preconceived notions slip away.
Scott M.
Nice angle on the benefits of incorporating curiosity into leadership. If a leader or manager hasn’t taken this approach before, there are some meaningful benefits to trying it. It’s another example of some of the simple things people can continue to develop as leaders. I shared this on our Twitter and Facebook page.
Wendy Appel
Appreciate your shares, Scott. Simple and effective, yet so often overlooked.
Ann Sachs
Just saw @rictownsend’s tweet about this post, Wendy. Happy to be introduced to your work!
Curiosity is a common denominator in the professional theatre, which is my world. And it is my favorite word.
Wendy Appel
Hi Ann. Smiling here. So glad to be introduced to you. I just read your profile on your website. Sounds like you are doing some wonderful work at Theatrical Intelligence. Curiosity has taken me far in life and on some wonderful adventures — both internal and external. Perhaps it is the same for you?
Tom Ryan (@tryan2thomas)
Wendy, great piece on a key aspect of leadership. Curiosity asks questions, communicates and shows interest in learning more, which is the highest compliment you can pay anyone.
Wendy Appel
So true, Tom. As a leader, I bet your curiosity has taken you far and to unexpected places.
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