The Smartest Leaders Use This Trait to Learn Faster, Fix Problems, and Improve Relationships

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In one?short quote, Albert Einstein explained his genius when he famously said:

I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.

The second part of that quote is certainly good news for the majority of us that fall well short of?Einstein-esque?IQ. Because curiosity, as it turns out, is a quality most of us can activate within us.??

Here's the thing: By being curious, we learn and grow. And by being?passionately?curious, we continue to learn and grow and become even more curious. See where Einstein was going? Maybe there's an Einstein in all of us.

The research on curiosity

Interestingly enough, Einstein?said this well before the evidence came out.??Several studies?reveal that curious people have better relationships and connect better with others. In fact, other people are more easily attracted to and feel socially closer to individuals that display curiosity.

Harvard Business Review?reported?that people with a higher "curiosity quotient" (CQ) are more inquisitive and generate more original ideas, and this "thinking style" leads to higher levels of knowledge acquisition over time. CQ, the author states, "Is the ultimate tool to produce simple solutions for complex problems."

If you're looking for a high-performing team environment, being curious and asking questions about why and how things work, for example, inspires creative thinking in a team setting. It also opens up doors for your team to share their input and ideas, which fosters innovation and keeps you from growing stagnant.

"Applied Curiosity"?

Conversely, this also defines great leaders. They have what former?New York Times?"Corner Office"?columnist?Adam Bryant?calls?"applied curiosity." Bryant interviewed 525 chief executives and other leaders in a ten-year span and found that applied curiosity is the single most important quality?that explains why they all became CEOs.

So what's behind applied curiosity??In Bryant's own words:?

It means trying to understand how things work, and then trying to understand how they can be made to work better. It means being curious about people and their backstories. It means using insights to build deceptively simple frameworks and models in their minds to make sense of their industry --?and all the other disruptive forces shaping our world -- so they can explain it to others. Then they continue asking questions about those models, and it's those questions that often lead to breakthrough ideas.?

Finding the leadership trait of curiosity in future leaders may be your secret weapon. Because in the right environment, curiosity leads to experimentation, trying something new and experiencing breakthroughs. That, to me, is the foundation of innovation, which is very Einstein-like.

Conclusion

So let me ask you some questions:

• What are the sort of things that pique your interest--that get you curious?
• What questions do you need to ask to figure something out?
• How will you increase your curiosity quotient and keep your mind sharp?

Don't sell yourself short, or your ability to use your curiosity to lead better or create new breakthroughs. By fully activating your curious potential, elevating yourself to Einstein level may not be that far out of reach after all.

Your turn: How has curiosity helped you become a better leader? Leave a comment, and let's learn from each other.

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Ways I Can Help Senior Leaders

Thanks for engaging in the conversation! Here's how I can help you, your teams or your organization achieve success during these challenging times:

1. Hire me to speak at your company event.?More info here.
2. Train your managers to become better leaders with my top-rated course --?From Boss to Leader. Serious inquiries only for teams of managers who want a fast track to great leadership.?Start here?with a free 15-minute discovery call.
3. Hire me to coach you or your leadership team to become more effective people leaders. Start here with a free, 30-minute discovery call.
4. Listen?to the?Love in Action podcast?for deep conversations?with?world-class luminaries like?Jim Kouzes, Stephen M.R. Covey, Ken Blanchard, Douglas Conant, and Chester Elton.?Listen on Apple Podcast.
5. Read?my?Inc.com column?-- one of the most widely-read leadership columns in the world.

Until next time,

Marcel

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About Marcel Schwantes

Marcel Schwantes?is a global speaker whose keynotes and workshops spotlight the human side of work and how cultures of care, connection, and belonging outperform the competition. He's an executive coach, syndicated columnist, and the creator of the highly-acclaimed "From Boss to Leader" course. Marcel has been recognized as one of the "Top 101 Global Employee Engagement & Experience Influencers." His work is regularly featured in?Inc., Business Insider, Fast Company, and CNBC.