In other words: incuriosity
is believing that you know all you need to know. Yikes.
Especially now, in this 21st century, with technology and business models
changing daily, instantaneous worldwide communication and information-sharing
commonplace, more generations in the workplace than ever before (with all their
differing expectations and beliefs about work) — thinking that you’ve got it
all figured out seems just foolish.
I’ve observed that great
leaders are, without exception, actively curious; eager to understand and
learn, recognizing there’s lots more to know and lots more they need to
know. And I’ve seen that their curiosity is not only key to their ongoing
development – it makes them great to be around. People really like having
leaders who are interested in them, in what they do and what they know.
So,
how do you get curious?
1. Ask real questions. Too many leaders ask fake
questions designed to show how smart they are. E.g. “Don’t you think we’ll do
better next quarter if we lower our inventory from three months to
two?” That is not a curiosity-based question — the asker knows exactly
the answer he or she wants to get. Real questions sound like, “How do you
think we could…?” or “Why do you think that might…?” or “What do you know
about…?”
