Leadership Curiosity: Why Staying Curious Keeps You Relevant (And What Happens When You Stop)

linnearader
Mar 25
7 min read

I worked with a leader once that really thought they knew everything.

When training opportunities would arise they would actually say, oh I don't need that, I know it already. But they said it every time.

When the leader would be forced to go to training, they would attend and then act like they were above it. They would listen and then talk about how what they did was far superior. It was constant and proof of complete lack of self awareness.

Well guess what. Their actions, their actions said otherwise.

They would pick out people and focus on them. They wouldn't communicate about concerns. They would just focus on the negative and tell other people about them. You name a leadership trait, they would claim excellence, while their actions would say the opposite.

That's what happens when leaders stop being curious. They stop learning. They stop growing. They stop seeing their own blind spots. And they become increasingly ineffective while being completely convinced they're doing great.

Why I'm Always Curious

I love this book. I'm on my second (or more) reading of it and learning something new with each read.

I'm curious all the time. I love reading. I love learning. If there's an opportunity to learn, I want to do it.

One of the most recent things I've been learning about is AI. AI can be scary. I'd heard different things about it and had ideas and concerns all at once. I was curious.

I had heard how AI could help make jobs easier, but I'd also heard that it could possibly cause jobs to be lost. Since I'm always busy, I thought maybe there were ways it could help me manage the workload.

Learning helped in many ways. One, I did learn a ton of ways AI can help me. All from helping write emails in a better way, help write updated job descriptions or even interview questions. It can also help me evaluate different sections of my website and identify areas I can make changes and improvements.

I was able to join my County's AI task force and I've learned a ton from them.

That's what curiosity does. It opens up possibilities you didn't even know existed. It helps you solve problems you thought were unsolvable. It keeps you relevant in a world that's constantly changing.

How Real Colors Changed My Leadership

"I learned it because I was curious about why people communicate so differently and how I could be more effective with different personality types."

Real Colors training has been amazing for me. I loved the system and was curious how it worked. The training was amazing and I love the workshops. Each one surprises me in one way or another.

Real Colors has changed me as a leader by allowing me to fully understand how different people act and react, how they communicate differently, and how we can best work with these differences and make relationships better and more effective.

But here's the thing. I didn't learn this because I thought I had people figured out. I learned it because I was curious about why people communicate so differently and how I could be more effective with different personality types.

If I had been like that leader who thought they already knew everything, I never would have sought out that training. I never would have learned a framework that fundamentally changed how I work with people.

That's the cost of thinking you know it all. You stop learning things that could actually make you better.

Curiosity About Generations

Generations are important. I really don't think there is a generation that's necessarily better or worse than another. I know there's lots of things people say about different generations, but I think it's based on not understanding differences.

As an example, training different generations, I had one team where a more senior employee was doing just that, making assumptions about the newer, younger employees. Talking about how they worked, how they learned, how they were motivated.

The younger employees had other assumptions about the senior employee. Mentioning resistance to change, unwilling to share knowledge.

When we were able to break down the specific situations they were having trouble with, it became clear we had something we could work with.

One thing that was super simple? The new, younger employees just needed to ask when they wanted to learn or understand something. The senior employees weren't just going to share it. Not because they were being difficult, but that they thought since they weren't being asked, they didn't care.

Simple misunderstanding.

But we only got there because everyone got curious about what was really happening instead of staying stuck in their assumptions.

What Happens When You Stop Being Curious

"You don't just stop growing. You stop seeing reality clearly."

That leader I mentioned at the beginning, the one who thought they knew everything? They became increasingly isolated.

Their team stopped bringing them ideas because they already knew best. Their colleagues stopped inviting them to learning opportunities because they'd just decline. Their organization moved forward while they stayed stuck doing things the way they'd always done them.

And the worst part? They genuinely didn't see it. They thought they were doing great. They thought everyone else just didn't appreciate their expertise.

That's the danger of losing your curiosity. You don't just stop growing. You stop seeing reality clearly. You become convinced you're excellent at things you're actually struggling with.

Your world gets smaller. Your effectiveness decreases. Your relevance fades. And you don't even realize it's happening.

Curiosity as a Leadership Skill

Real Colors Workshops are amazing leadership opportunities.

Here's what curiosity looks like in practice:

Asking questions instead of making assumptions. When that team had generational conflicts, we could have assumed we knew what the problem was. Instead, we got curious and asked specific questions that revealed the real issue.

Seeking out learning opportunities. Even when you're busy. Even when you think you might already know the content. Because you might learn one thing that changes everything.

Being open to new approaches. AI seemed scary at first. It would have been easier to avoid it. But curiosity led me to explore it, and now it's a tool that helps me be more effective.

Acknowledging what you don't know. This is crucial. Curious leaders can say 'I don't know' or 'I want to learn more about this.' Leaders who think they know everything can't admit those things.

Looking for the why behind behaviors. Real Colors taught me this. People aren't just difficult or easy to work with. They have different communication styles and motivations. Understanding the why changes how you lead them.

The Assumptions That Kill Curiosity

The biggest enemy of curiosity is assuming you already know.

You already know how millennials work. You already know what your team needs. You already know the best way to handle that situation. You already know what that training will cover.

Every time you tell yourself you already know, you close the door on learning something new. You shut down curiosity. You stop growing.

And here's the thing. Sometimes you do already know. You've been doing this for 20 years. You have experience and expertise. That's valuable.

But the world keeps changing. Technology evolves. Generations shift. Best practices improve. What worked perfectly five years ago might not be the best approach now.

Curious leaders hold their knowledge lightly. They value their experience while staying open to new information that might change how they think.

Building Your Curiosity

"You never know where the next useful insight will come from."

If curiosity doesn't come naturally to you, here's how to develop it:

Say yes to learning opportunities. Even when you're busy. Even when you think you might already know the content. You might be surprised.

Ask why five times. When you think you understand a situation, ask why it's happening. Then ask why that's happening. Keep going. You'll often discover the real issue is different from what you initially thought.

Read widely. Books, articles, research. Things related to your field and things completely unrelated. You never know where the next useful insight will come from.

Talk to people who are different from you. Different generations, different backgrounds, different perspectives. Don't assume you know how they think. Ask them.

Acknowledge what you don't know. Practice saying 'I'm not sure' or 'I'd like to learn more about that.' It gets easier the more you do it.

Challenge your own assumptions. When you think you already know the answer, pause and ask yourself if there's something you might be missing.

Why This Matters Now

The pace of change isn't slowing down. Technology like AI is transforming how we work. Generational dynamics are shifting as new generations enter the workforce and older ones retire. Best practices evolve.

Leaders who stay curious adapt to these changes. They learn new tools. They understand new perspectives. They adjust their approaches based on new information.

Leaders who think they already know everything become increasingly irrelevant. They keep doing things the way they've always done them while the world moves on without them.

I love learning. I love reading. I love discovering new things that change how I think or work. Not because I'm naturally curious, though I am, but because I know that the moment I think I have it all figured out is the moment I stop growing.

And in leadership, if you stop growing, you start becoming irrelevant.

Stay curious. Keep asking questions. Keep learning. Keep challenging your assumptions.

That's how you stay relevant. That's how you keep growing. That's how you become the kind of leader people actually want to follow.

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Next in the series: Self-Awareness - Knowing Your Blind Spots

As always, carry social kindness with you everywhere you go. The world needs you and your positive mindset!