Be Curious; Be Open to Learning and Growing

Our upcoming book, The Shift from Me to Team, is in production! We will continue to share excerpts we hope will resonate with you and inform your approach to work. This week, we explore an essential aspect of exceptional leadership and the importance of curiosity.

#leadership #team #PeakPerformance #CoreIdentity #teamdevelopment #ShiftFromMeToTeam #purpose

The desire to learn and grow, to be better tomorrow than today, is an essential attribute of exceptional leadership. Curiosity is central to this desire.

Leadership is not about having the answer; it is about enabling the best solution. None of us know as much as we would like when making decisions. That said, the leader is responsible for the decision. The desire to humbly learn and grow and admit that we do not have all the answers is vital for great leadership.

The first time I had an IT specialist help me with a computer problem, I was surprised to find him searching online for a solution. He knew the question to ask; I did not.

When others see a situation differently, great leaders are curious about the reasons. Do they know something the leader does not, or was there miscommunication in the past? Great leaders speak 10-25% of the time during a discussion, mostly asking questions that challenge others to think.

Leadership is not about having the answer; it is about enabling the best solution.

For us to operate at Peak Performance, we need the best knowledge available. Creating an environment where all are learning from each other sets the stage for building a learning organization, an organization that, at its foundation, says: We do not have all the answers, and we are open to learning and growing. It starts with leadership shifting from having the answers to knowing the questions to ask, shifting from me to team. It is those who are humble on their journey, curiously in search of better understanding, who will:

• close the gap on becoming the leader they are meant to be by being open to the growth opportunities team members provide
• become the leader their team needs by listening and reflecting on what is working and what is not
• create a culture where the team members support each other in learning and growing to close personal Peak Performance gaps, all in service of making the team better
• create an organization that possesses a competitive edge as they are constantly learning and growing

We hope you are inspired to become more curious about why others see things different than you do. Curiosity is the most recent attribute identified as a requirement for great leadership. Best wishes on your journey to being curious, asking more questions becoming a more effective leader.