This is less blog, more collation.1 A sort of call to curiosity, if you will. (Or even if you won’t.)
What’s that, then? Basically it’s stuff I’ve noticed about curious leaders over the years. How to get curious, and why, and what helps and what doesn’t. Etc. It’s all stuff I’ve tested with leaders I work with and use myself.2 (But not all at once.)
What else? Well, it’s evolving, because curiosity thrives in uncertainty. Which is both a handy caveat and the truth. So they might become separate posts. Or something else. Or I might just ditch ‘em. But in the meantime I’m running experiments and getting curious about what’s next.
Anyway, what do you think? Are you doing similar stuff? Or deliberately not? Which ones resonate? Or bring you out in eye rolls? Anything else? I’d love to know, if you’re willing to share. (As per: I’m nosey, I’m bored of my own stuff, the usual.)
Also: they’re a touch brusque!3
A call to curiosity
Curiosity is an assertion of agency. If nothing is questioned, nothing will change. Assert yourself.
Curiosity is radical. It can dissolve a status quo, strengthen shaky ground, seed new landscapes. Don’t dismiss curiosity as soft or inert. Pay attention to its power.
Look around: who’s allowed to be curious? Whose curiosity is lauded? Whose is dismissed? Or crushed. Or gaslit. By whom? Interrogate whose curiosity isn’t welcome, and why. Champion such curiosity. Champion such people.
Deploy radical imagination. Wonder intensely, conjure possibilities, play with preconceptions. Push further: what could be? Find out.
Be an optimist. Eschew ignorance and pretence. Embrace discovery and action. Be open to what’s known and unknown, what works and doesn’t, what’s imperfect and worth pursuing anyway.
Be curious in and out. Look inside yourself: who are you, who do you want to become, what helps or holds you back? Live in the world: test assumptions, run experiments, apply what you learn.
Test—learn—adapt. Gather data. Be systematic. Know what you want to find out; pay attention to what you actually find out; act on it.
Be curious about who you don’t see. Why are they missing? Be curious about what you can’t even imagine. What are you missing? The more power you hold the less you see. Don’t fret; do look harder.
Breaking stuff is easy. Disruption might be fun. But the real work is in building up, not tearing down. Channel your curiosity into creating something better. What comes next? How? For whom? Then what? Curiosity can be revelatory, even revolutionary. Use it well.
No one owns curiosity. And yours is not enough. Get people fired up. Get them curious. Be curious about what they discover even if it’s uncomfortable. Especially then. You don’t have to agree, but you might make better choices about what to do next.
Don’t outsource your curiosity. If you can’t be bothered to chase wild geese don’t send someone else. And don’t dress that up as “inclusion” or “a chance to step up”. Be curious on your own dime. Show that curiosity matters for you as well as your team.
Learn to swim in discomfort. It might not be fun, but you’ll build resilience with each stroke, kick and splash. Get curious about what keeps you afloat. Get curious about where you’re building strength. And get curious about when to stay in and when to get the heck out.
Be courageous. Challenge the status quo, test assumptions, disrupt power. Cheerlead for those who can’t. Focus on finding out, not being found out. Make decisions. Pivot, but don’t spin. Own who you are and who you’re becoming.
Privilege clarity over certainty. Ask clarifying questions. Illuminate rather than hide confusion. Be honest about what’s known and unknown, how you’re experimenting and when you’ll review. Much faster in the long run.
Be a pragmatic radical. Have a solution? Use it. Good but not perfect? Fine. Works over here? Tweak and test over there. Don’t create a vacuum of inaction. Don’t pour chaos on people just because. And don’t try to be everything to everyone all the time: let yourself off the hook from time to time.
The word ‘listicle’ has just popped into my mind. God preserve us from such folly.
Although number 11 will really blow your mind!!!!!
Astoundingly, I sometimes take a dose of my own medicine. 🤯
Turns out my already rather niche tone involves not just swears for larks, puzzling emojis and lengthy footnotes, but strident instruction too. 🤷