Curiosity May Have Killed The Cat…But It Also Built The Leader!

Curiosity May Have Killed The Cat…But It Also Built The Leader!?

In this HBR article, Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic outlines the criticality of leadership curiosity as a powerful motivator for learning, embracing new ideas, and navigating novel situations. He posits that curiosity holds significant value for corporate leaders and professionals for the following key reasons:?

1. Leadership Effectiveness: Curiosity is a vital dimension of leadership effectiveness. Displaying curiosity can help you manage and lead teams effectively, while also encouraging your team members to harness their own curiosity.?
2. Continuous Learning: In a rapidly changing work environment, the ability to keep learning is essential for future-proofing careers. The author emphasises that the skills required to adapt to evolving work environments are changing quickly, making curiosity a survival mechanism.?
3. Employer Demand: Employers across various industries and roles consistently seek individuals with strong curiosity. It is often considered one of the most critical and sought-after dimensions of talent. Some organisations prioritise hiring based on curiosity, recognising that employees who are curious, are more likely to upskill and reskill for evolving roles.?

We couldn’t agree more!??

In Thrive Advisory’s Leadership Insights Research, we collected and analysed over 13,000 comments from 715 global leaders on key leadership topics. 22% of our clients and participants highlighted curiosity as a key element of how they personally define leadership potential, with capability emerging as the 5th most important trait.??

In Thrive Advisory’s Covid-19 Leadership Research, we asked 505 global leaders to highlight the most important competencies, skills and capabilities they viewed as critical leadership requirements for the future. 39% of our clients and participants highlighted curiosity and the desire to learn and evolve as a critical capability.??

Thrive Advisory’s ongoing Future of Leadership research, incorporating more than 2 million diverse data points on leadership competencies and traits required for the future, also buttresses his assertions. Curiosity, and desire to learn and evolve, has emerged as one of the top 25 critical leadership competencies for the future. This featured in 17% of the sources we have gathered and analysed from a host of sources, including peer-reviewed journals, organisational leadership frameworks and the research and predictions of world-renowned academics, authors and futurists.?

As we reflect on our client experience and the research we have reviewed throughout the decades, we would build upon Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic’s thinking and make some additional linkages:?

Psychological Safety and Innovation?

In her two acclaimed books on fostering psychological safety, which in turn promotes innovation and a host of other key performance outcomes and metrics, Dr. Amy Edmondson highlights the importance of leaders being capable of role modelling openness, humility, fallibility and practicing enquiry and intense listening. She posits that these behaviours create the conditions for colleagues to speak up and share their fulsome ideas and opinions, as the willingness to speak up requires confidence that employee voices are invited and welcomed by leaders. In our view, showcasing genuine curiosity is foundational to creating these conditions.?

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion?

Related to psychological safety, a leader’s and/or organisation’s ability to harness and leverage the numerous benefits of diverse talent (in every sense of the word) requires significant curiosity and openness. The extensive benefits of the input, engagement and efforts of diverse employees can only be fully realised when they feel they can bring their whole selves to work.??

Demonstrating authentic curiosity about the diverse experiences, thoughts, needs and ideas of our colleagues is a core leadership capability and behaviour to make all colleagues feel a sense of belonging and by extension can unlock the full benefits of diversity.?

Nature versus Nurture??

As we review leadership research and consider how we support and coach our clients, we are relentlessly curious about the extent to which traits are innate or can be built, developed and coached. Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic proposes that curiosity is a blend of both nature and nurture. While some individuals may have a natural predisposition to be more or less curious, he asserts everyone can enhance their curiosity with dedication and practice.?

If you’re seeking some practical tips to strengthen your curiosity muscle, Chamorro-Premuzic offers the following evidence-based recommendations:?

• Ditch Excuses: Common barriers, such as time constraints and uninspiring work environments, should not deter you from nurturing curiosity. Prioritise learning, intentionally seek novel experiences, and bridge the gap between what you know and what you want to know.?

• Find Your Interests: Identify what genuinely interests you. Discover the areas that you'd love to know more about, become an expert in, or that make you lose track of time. Even when dealing with seemingly uninteresting topics, find viewpoints that matter to you, as this can transform mundane tasks into meaningful and engaging activities.?
• Change Routine: Routine can hinder curiosity. Introduce changes into your daily life, such as interacting with different people, altering daily tasks, or exploring new routes. Small adjustments to your routine can stimulate novelty and provoke curiosity.?
• Experiment: Curiosity is not only a valuable trait but also a source of fun. It enhances focus, concentration, and creative flow. Experiment with new ideas, ask deeper questions, and explore unfamiliar topics. Novelty-seeking is a consistent predictor of curiosity. Embrace new interests and experiences and be open to learning from your errors.?
• Stay Flexible: If you feel stuck or you lose interest, don't force yourself to continue. Instead, switch to another task or topic that awakens your curiosity. The process should be enjoyable and akin to self-driven exploration.?

If we have convinced you of the business case…how will you demonstrate and role model curiosity today??

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