The Business Case for Curiosity: A Leadership Perspective
Curiosity—once a natural state we all experienced as children—has, for many, become something we view as risky or inefficient in the business world. But the truth is that curiosity is a vital driver of progress, especially in leadership. From the fire-starting flint to self-driving cars, curiosity has fueled innovation and shaped history. It’s the impulse to seek new information, explore possibilities, and embrace the unknown.
For leaders, cultivating curiosity within themselves and their teams is more powerful than many realize. Research shows that fostering a culture of curiosity increases innovation, improves decision-making, and builds trust within teams. Yet, despite these clear benefits, many organizations and leaders stifle curiosity in favor of efficiency or fear of the unknown.
In this blog, we’ll explore the business case for curiosity—why it matters, how it benefits leadership, and five strategies to foster it in the workplace.
The Power of Curiosity in Leadership
At its core, leadership is about navigating uncertainty, making decisions, and inspiring others. Curiosity allows leaders to adapt, learn, and thrive in this complex role. It’s not just about having the right answers—it’s about asking the right questions. When leaders tap into their curiosity, they open up to new ideas, perspectives, and solutions. This leads to better decision-making, improved team dynamics, and more innovative outcomes. Without curiosity, leaders risk stagnation and falling behind in today’s fast-paced world.
Curiosity empowers leaders to challenge the status quo, encouraging deeper thinking and alternative perspectives. In business, I believe this mindset isn’t just beneficial but essential for leaders who wish to thrive in professional coaching roles and guide their teams effectively.
Fewer Decision-Making Errors
One of the most striking benefits of curiosity is its ability to reduce decision-making errors. When curiosity is triggered, we avoid confirmation bias and stereotyping, making better decisions. Leaders in professional coaching often find that encouraging curiosity helps clients develop a more balanced, thoughtful approach to problem-solving.
It makes us less likely to fall into confirmation bias, where we only seek information that supports our beliefs or stereotype others. Instead of making quick judgments, curiosity allows us to generate alternatives, consider different perspectives, and make better decisions.
Increased Innovation
Curiosity drives innovation. Research has found that when employees experience higher levels of curiosity at work, their creativity surges. Curious employees seek more information and find innovative ways to solve problems, even in structured environments like call centers. Leaders can unlock improvements in day-to-day operations and long-term innovation by fostering curiosity.
Improved Team Dynamics
Curiosity improves team dynamics. When team members are curious, they’re more likely to put themselves in each other’s shoes, fostering empathy and collaboration. Instead of focusing solely on their views, curious team members are open to listening, understanding, and building on each other’s ideas. This leads to reduced conflict and more streamlined teamwork.
Better Communication
Curiosity fosters more open communication. When people feel free to ask questions and share ideas, they communicate more openly and listen more carefully to others. This creates an environment where trust can flourish, leading to better team performance and collaboration.
Handling Uncertainty and Stress
Curiosity can be a powerful tool for handling uncertainty and stress. Studies show that we’re less likely to react defensively or make rash decisions when we approach challenges with curiosity. Instead, we explore different options and stay calm under pressure, which helps us find creative solutions.
Barriers to Curiosity in the Workplace
Despite the benefits, curiosity is often stifled in organizations.
Many leaders fear that encouraging curiosity will lead to increased risk and inefficiency. However, this overlooks the potential benefits of exploring new ideas and questioning the status quo. While curiosity may not always produce immediate results, it often leads to better, more creative solutions in the long run.
Additionally, in pursuit of efficiency, many organizations stifle exploration. Henry Ford’s obsession with reducing production costs made the Model T accessible to the masses, but this focus on efficiency eventually led to Ford’s decline. Ford’s refusal to explore new ideas left the company behind as competitors innovated. This illustrates the danger of prioritizing efficiency over curiosity and innovation.
These barriers can create environments where employees feel discouraged from asking questions, even though curiosity could unlock new ideas and innovation.
Five Ways to Foster Curiosity in Leadership
Curiosity doesn’t always thrive naturally in structured environments, so leaders must create conditions for it to flourish. Encouraging inquisitiveness isn’t just about allowing employees to ask questions—it’s about building a culture that values exploration, continuous learning, and open communication.
Here are five ways to foster curiosity and help your team reach its full potential:
Hire for Curiosity: When building teams, prioritize curiosity in potential hires. Some of the most successful companies, like Google, hire individuals with a passion for learning. During interviews, ask questions that reveal curiosity, such as: “Have you ever found yourself unable to stop learning something new? Why?” Candidates who are driven by curiosity will show how it influences their performance.
Model Inquisitiveness: As a leader, modeling curiosity encourages others to do the same. In professional coaching, this behavior helps clients feel comfortable exploring new perspectives and questioning their assumptions, leading to personal and professional growth. Ask questions, seek new perspectives, and show your team that it’s okay not to have all the answers. By embracing curiosity, you encourage your team to do the same.
Emphasize Learning Goals Over Performance Goals: Leaders often focus on performance goals, but research shows that emphasizing learning goals can lead to better results. When employees are motivated by learning—developing new skills and exploring ideas—they perform better than when solely focused on hitting targets. Reward performance and learning and positively react to new ideas, even if they’re not immediately practical.
Give Employees Time to Explore: Encourage curiosity by giving your team time to explore their interests. Some companies, like Pixar, give employees time to work on passion projects. Google allows employees to dedicate a percentage of their time to personal projects. The result? More innovation and employee satisfaction.
Organize “Why?” Days: To foster curiosity, set aside time for employees to ask open-ended questions like “Why?” or “What if?”. For example, Toyota’s “5 Whys” technique encourages employees to repeatedly ask why a problem exists until they reach the root cause—hosting regular brainstorming sessions where employees ask “What if?” can spark innovative ideas.
A Leadership Shift Towards Curiosity
Leaders can no longer afford to stifle curiosity. To innovate, adapt, and succeed, we must embrace exploration. By hiring curious people, modeling inquisitiveness, emphasizing learning, giving employees time to explore, and fostering open-ended questions, we can create organizations that thrive on curiosity—and, ultimately, success.
As Brené Brown reminds us, “When we choose curiosity, we choose learning over knowing.”
That choice is what separates good leaders from truly visionary ones.