Leading with curiosity can have a significant positive impact on your organization. By asking genuine questions to understand your employees, you can build trust, improve communication, and foster a culture of learning.
Curiosity involves asking thoughtful questions to deepen your understanding of others. In a one-on-one meeting, for example, you might ask questions like "What are your thoughts on how to address this?" or "How would you like to approach this project?" By actively listening to their responses and following up with non-judgmental questions to clarify your understanding, you can work together to reach a mutual understanding.
Some benefits of leading with curiosity are:
Understanding employees' desires and needs: Curiosity helps executives better understand the motivations and aspirations of their individual employees. This can keep them motivated and engaged.
Encouraging input and participation: Being curious about your employees' ideas and concerns gives them the freedom to share their input and feel heard, rather than being told what to do. This can help employees feel valued and appreciated.
Fostering creativity and engagement: Asking questions of your employees allows them to think through their work and feel more engaged in the project. This can lead to increased creativity and a stronger sense of dedication to the output.
Coming from a place of understanding: Curiosity helps leaders come from a place of understanding, rather than being dismissive when an idea prompts an emotional reaction. This helps employees feel heard and encourages them to offer input in the future.
Remaining open to possibilities: Asking questions helps executives remain open to possibilities, rather than dismissing ideas before fully understanding them. This keeps employees feeling creative and valued.
To learn more about becoming a curious leader and improving your leadership skills, you can visit my website or email me at janice@ob-advisory.com to receive the follow-up article on The Executive's Future: How to Be a Curious Leader.
Schedule a free 15-minute session with me via my connect calendar on the website, email, or phone to work together to boost your curiosity skills.