Why Great Leaders Ask More Questions Than They Answer

It’s probably one of the biggest challenges leaders face that no one really talks about – the growing tendency to value certainty over curiosity.

One only has to look at how many organizations are handling flexible work options – opting to return to analog 20^th century model of work hoping it might still make sense in a digital, growing AI-centric 21^st century workplace.

But it makes sense as we are hardwired to avoid the unknown and to seek safety in the familiar. We may call it our “comfort zone”, but the truth is it’s more our safety zone.

But playing it safe has never been a winning strategy.

Why Leaders Default to Certainty Over Curiosity

Just ask Kodak, Blockbuster, Sears, and recently Canada’s Hudson Bay Company, the oldest corporation in North America established back in 1670 that recently went bankrupt and exists now only in the history books.

This is why leaders have an obligation to develop intellectual curiosity, both within themselves and their organization at large so that continuous improvement and innovation are not simply buzzwords, but inherent characteristics of their workplace.

What Intellectual Curiosity Actually Looks Like in Practice

Intellectual curiosity pushes us past settling for the comfortable and familiar. Of going back to how things were done around here to openly asking how can we do things better?

It’s a mindset that doesn’t close us off to seeing the world only through our eyes, but to opening ourselves up to exploring diverse ideas, perspectives, and pondering new possibilities.

I’ve found the most curious leaders are always those who are less interested in telling you what they know and are more interested in hearing the ideas and perspectives of others.

They’re not only vociferous readers, but they’re always eager to learn new skills without any concern about how successful they’ll master or understand the process.

From Scarcity to Abundance: Creating Space for Ideas to Flourish

Most importantly, intellectual curiosity thrives when we treat knowledge and information not with a scarcity mindset, but one of abundance. Where we create spaces for people to feel safe to share their ideas and experiences, to ask the questions that they have on their minds, and to even challenge prevailing assumptions about the way things are and why.

When we lead and promote this kind of mindset where intellectual curiosity takes the forefront over power and control, we create conditions that allows our team and organization to respond and adapt to whatever challenges comes our way.

Intellectual Curiosity Requires Intention, Not Just Aspiration

To be clear, intellectual curiosity doesn’t happen by accident or by merely stating one is.

On the contrary, it requires intentional effort and thoughtful questioning where we seek not to confirm what we know, but what lies beyond the boundaries of our knowledge and awareness.

After all, as leaders it’s not our job to be the sage on the mountain who our employees come to in search of answers to their questions.

Rather, it should be us who come bearing the questions that will serve to shape and inform the solutions and ideas that will ensure our organization continues to succeed and thrive in the years to come.