Curiosity Is Key

All leaders have the opportunity to harness the power of their people to solve significant challenges. The best leaders are the most curious about the people and problems they face.

“Be curious and not judgmental” is a phrase that has been popularized in recent years. This axiom is much more important than many might realize. Curiosity is the key to great leadership because it facilitates relationships and solutions—developing the warmth and competency that Best Bosses demonstrate.

I worked for a landscaping company for my last three summers of high school. Summers in Nashville, Tennessee, were hot, and the work was hard. Our twelve-hour shifts from 6 am to 6 pm were exhausting.

I often came home from my shift, showed, and went right to sleep, only to wake up and do it all again the next day.

On my hardest days, I remember thinking that no matter how difficult college might be, it would never be harder than weed-eating a lawn in 100-degree weather.

I was not wrong.

The man who owned our company often accompanied us to jobs. I had many opportunities to ride in his truck between jobs. As travel distances were sometimes long, we spent a great deal of time together with relatively few distractions.

On those rides, my boss was always curious about my life and my future. He asked me questions about what I planned to study in college and why. He answered my questions about work, life, and many other topics—some of which I’m sure were not super interesting to him.

But they were important to me.

He was curious about me—a high school kid covered in dirt and sweat. That curiosity made a great impression on my young mind.

In the intervening years, I have come to more fully recognize the power of curiosity.

Curiosity is how humility shows up in action. The best leaders and most capable problem solvers are relentlessly curious—about people and about problems.

With people, they seek to understand their motivations, interests, perspectives, and thoughts.

With problems, they ask before deciding, dig deeper, and challenge assumptions. They want to know how things work and why.

They don’t react. They explore.

Best Bosses are curious, which helps them build relationships with greater authenticity. It helps them solve problems more elegantly and thoughtfully.

Before your next meeting or decision, ask one more question than you normally would.

That single act of curiosity may change everything.