Here's how you can foster a mindset of continuous learning and creativity as a leader.

Curiosity and learning are closely linked. In fact it is curiosity that drives learning. Curiosity can be learned through questioning, including self-questioning as well as self-monitoring, and trained through use of conversational agents, i.e., artificial intelligence-based chatbots that improve our question-driven information-searching abilities. Studies have shown that people that ask questions and make hypotheses perform better that those that only read or listen to information. Leaders need to encourage questioning, and remove barrier, which include fear to look incompetent, and assumptions, i.e. monologues in our heads that talk us out of things. We also need to model targeted behaviors and reward those that show interest in learning

Lead by Example: Demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning and creativity by modeling these behaviors yourself. Share your own experiences with learning and experimentation, and showcase how you apply new ideas and insights to your work. Encourage Curiosity: Foster a culture of curiosity and exploration within your team by encouraging questions, experimentation, and the pursuit of new ideas. Emphasize the value of asking "why" and challenging the status quo to stimulate innovation and creativity. Provide Learning Opportunities: Offer opportunities for ongoing learning and development, such as training programs, workshops, conferences, and online courses. Invest in resources and tools that enable your team to acquire new skills.

Ask questions. We often want to prove our work by telling. Sharing our own ideas, experiences, or perspective, or simple giving people our advice. Asking questions not only opens up the conversation but allows you to be seen as a curious and wise leader.

Adopt a kaizen lifestyle. Kaizen is a Japanese business philosophy that emphasizes continuous improvement through small, incremental changes. The term "kaizen" combines the words "kai," meaning change, and "zen," meaning good. The core idea behind kaizen is that ongoing, minor improvements, often suggested by employees themselves, can lead to significant enhancements in efficiency, productivity, and quality. This approach fosters a collaborative environment where every team member is encouraged to contribute ideas and innovations, thereby cultivating a proactive workplace culture focused on constant development and improvement.

-Brainstorming sessions foster curiosity and promote knowledge sharing within the team. -Provide opportunities for professional development and training, be it a new skill or a tool. -You can create healthy competitions and give awards for “Most innovative idea” and “Most creative solution” to increase their motivation. This encourages experimentation. -Creating an open and supportive environment is necessary for team members to feel empowered to learn and grow, ask questions, take risks and learn from failures.

The greatest hinderance to risk-taking is the mental blocks we place on ourselves. These blocks include fear of failure, fear of looking foolish or silly, avoiding the ambiguous and the uncertain, perfectionism, or the belief that you were born to be uncreative. The best way to overcome this is to start taking initiative. You don't need to take big steps, but start really small to build a momentum. One of the ways that I find interesting is The 5-Second Rule by Mel Robbins.

I created a sof skills co-development B.O.O.K (Bring Our Own Knowledge) club. The idea is to select a monthly soft skills, host a team activity in week 1 of the month on the skills (communication, influencing others etc) as well as coffee meetings where we share and watch inspiring content on the subject (video capsule, book etc). The initiative is very successful with the team and allows me as a leader to ensure continuous training. The forum allows the team to grow together and open up their vulnerabilities and conquer them as a team.

Fostering a culture of continuous learning and creativity as a leader involves creating a supportive environment that encourages exploration, experimentation, and growth. This includes providing ample learning opportunities such as training programs and conferences, embracing diversity of thought to spark innovation, fostering a growth mindset among team members, promoting reflection and iteration for continuous improvement, recognising and rewarding creativity, and cultivating a supportive work environment where individuals feel valued and empowered to express themselves creatively without fear of judgment.