Curiosity-Driven Growth

Leadership is a force multiplier in any transformation. When leaders model curiosity, experimentation, and a willingness to change course, those behaviors spread. When they ask employees to embrace new ways of working while continuing to run the business as they always have, people notice the disconnect. A recent Harvard Business Review piece names a pattern that can hold transformation back: leaders ask teams to take more risks and move faster, then rely on the same processes that reward predictability. The ambition and the system point in opposite directions. AI is asking people to use unfamiliar tools, question work they may have done the same way for years and make decisions without every answer in hand. We cannot ask that of employees while insulating ourselves from it. At Microsoft, our manager framework has long been Model, Coach, Care. In the AI era, I believe it is even more important. Managers need to use AI themselves and make their learning visible. They need to help the whole team build capability, rather than allowing progress to remain concentrated among a few early adopters. And they need to understand the uncertainty people may be feeling and create the trust and space required to learn. Employees watch what leaders prioritize and personally practice far more closely than what they ask of others. That is why leadership can accelerate change or quietly hold it back. https://lnkd.in/gUwCNne8

Ever had a moment that shook your ego to its core? Mine happened in the year 2000. I was reviewing a colleague's code—a task I was quite good at. But this time, I paused. The code was elegant, efficient, and well-structured. Better than what I could have written. That realization hit hard. I felt uneasy. Almost threatened. On the way home, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So I took a small detour to a bookstore and picked up the best book I could find on the subject. I spent nights trying to catch up, to learn more, to be better. But eventually, a more meaningful realization began to take shape: Growth isn't about being the best in the room. It's about being open enough to learn from everyone in the room. From that moment on, I changed how I looked at my team. I started observing, asking questions, and learning—not just from seniors, but from peers, interns, and everyone in between. Titles didn’t matter anymore. Insight did. That mindset shift—from competitiveness to curiosity—has been one of the most defining lessons in my career. Even today, 20+ years later, I still feel that same hunger to learn. The joy of being a student never really goes away. So if you ever find your ego bruised at work, take a pause. It might just be your biggest breakthrough moment. Take that moment of discomfort and turn it into fuel. Ask questions. Stay curious. And most importantly, never stop learning. What’s one humbling moment that made you grow?

When I started as a founder, I thought I knew it all. I was wrong... I soon learnt that the best founders have one thing in common: They never stop learning. And not just from mentors or advisors. - They read books.  - They listen to their teams. - They process their setbacks. In my experience, curiosity has been one of the most valuable traits in my entire career. It's what kept me evolving while building HomeServe, and it's what I look for in every founder I back through Growth Partner. Here's what I learnt about curiosity over 30 years: Early in your career, curiosity helps you understand your market. Before I even started my fishing fly business, I placed an £8 advertisement in Trout and Salmon Magazine to see if anyone wanted and called for a copy of my mail order catalogue. I got 25 calls. That was my market research done. When those fishermen's wives said my colourful flies would make nice earrings, I listened. That single comment led to a high fashion business. I've always been driven by what customers think.  Reading complaint letters, listening into call centre conversations, and getting out in the field. That curiosity about customer needs has shaped every business decision I've made. Later in your career, curiosity stops you becoming irrelevant. The moment you stop learning is the moment your business starts dying. If you want to develop curiosity as a trait: 1. Have one learning conversation each week.  Sit down with someone in your team, especially those outside your senior circle. 2. Read across disciplines.  Great ideas don't just come from business books. 3. Encourage challenge.  If nobody disagrees with you, you need to rethink who's on your team. 4. Reflect regularly.  Ask yourself what you learnt this week, what worked, and what didn't. You can't ask your team to keep evolving if you've stopped. That's why curiosity sits at the top of my list of entrepreneurial characteristics. I'd be interested to know what you're doing to stay curious.  Share your thoughts in the comments. ♻️ Repost to inspire others in your network.  And for more on how to keep learning while building,  Follow me Richard Harpin. 

Curiosity is underrated. Especially when it comes to mindset. When something feels off, we often jump straight into fixing mode. What’s the solution? What’s the fastest way forward? But sometimes, the most effective shift starts with a question, not an answer. 👉 What else could be true here? This is where curiosity becomes a mindset tool. Instead of locking into assumptions or running with a single perspective, curiosity invites us to pause and explore. It opens space between trigger and response. It allows us to notice our default stories and consider new ones. And it nudges us from judgement to possibility. From a psychological perspective, this is known as cognitive flexibility. It refers to our ability to adapt our thinking in response to new information. It is linked to problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and long-term wellbeing. So next time you feel stuck, try swapping self-criticism or certainty for curiosity. It might not change the situation, but it will change how you experience it. And that change can lead to everything else. 🧠 If you want to build a mindset that supports both performance and wellbeing, curiosity is a good place to start.

Practicing intellectual curiosity is critical to a leader’s journey of continuous learning and growth. We must ask questions, listen actively, seek out different perspectives, and challenge our assumptions. Many leaders read voraciously, reflect regularly, and engage with coaches and mentors to ensure we are exposed to new ideas, insights, and feedback. One practice that has helped me learn and evolve over the years is tracking and analyzing the outcomes of my decisions. This is not about dwelling on mistakes but about accountability, continuous improvement, and leading with intention. I started this as a mid-level manager, thanks to a great boss who taught me how to balance data and instincts—a critical skill to have when you need to make a decision urgently in the absence of a complete set of facts. He coached me to start recording my gut instincts whenever I had to make a decision. I would do a quick gut check and put that insight aside. I would then approach the decision analytically, weighing all the available data to make a determination. Over time, we’d compare the two approaches, tracking the success rate through the years. This practice has stayed with me—in fact, I’m still tracking business decisions I made in Southeast Europe, Germany, and Southeast Asia over the years! As importantly, I track the successful careers of employees I hired, coached, and promoted. This is not only a useful learning exercise of what worked and what didn’t, but also a wonderful way to celebrate the success of others. What are some practices that help you continuously learn and grow? #Leadership #Development #Curiosity #ContinuousLearning #DecisionMaking

Stop. Curiosity as a job requirement!?  I vividly recall one of my early recruitment experiences.  A corporate hiring manager came back to me after interviewing a strong candidate. Skills? On point. Experience? Strong fit.  Anticipating enthusiasm, I instead heard:   "𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘶𝘱𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺."  I paused.  Sure, I had noticed they were serious, down-to-earth, and incredibly hands-on. But no curiosity?  Then it clicked.  Curiosity is not a 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦-𝘵𝘰-𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦. It’s a key indicator of growth potential. It’s what drives people to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and explore new ways of thinking.  Without it, careers (and businesses) can not be successful. So now, when assessing talent, I always try to understand: • Do they seek to understand beyond what is required? • Do they demonstrate a hunger to learn and grow? • Do they ask insightful questions? Because in the long run, potential beats full fit. I often share this with executive talent - I do not hire for one role (only). I hire for a career journey. What do you think? Have you seen curiosity (or the lack of it) make or break a career?

The future doesn't belong to the most intelligent leaders. It belongs to the most curious ones. One question has stayed with me for quite some time. Why do some leaders continue to grow long after they've become successful, whilst others slowly become prisoners of their own experience? The more I've reflected on that question, the less I've believed intelligence is the answer. I think it's curiosity. Early in my career, I believed credibility came from having the right answers. Today, I'm much more interested in leaders who ask the questions nobody else is asking. Somewhere along the way I've come to realise that leadership isn't measured by how much you know, but by how willing you are to keep learning, even when experience tells you you've seen it all before. Not long ago I was facilitating a strategy session where two experienced executives were looking at exactly the same challenge. One spent most of the discussion explaining why the current approach still made sense. The other simply asked, "What assumptions are we protecting that no longer deserve protecting?" The discussion changed almost immediately, not because someone produced a better answer, but because someone had the curiosity to question an assumption everyone else had quietly accepted. That conversation stayed with me. It reminded me that experience is one of the greatest gifts leadership gives us, but it can also become one of its greatest blind spots if certainty quietly replaces curiosity. The longer I work with leaders, the more convinced I become that curiosity isn't a personality trait, it's a discipline. Curious leaders notice weak signals before they become obvious. They welcome perspectives that challenge their own thinking. They adapt before circumstances force them to and they create environments where learning is valued far more than always being right. As AI makes knowledge and expertise increasingly accessible, I don't believe the real advantage will come from having more answers. It will come from asking better questions, challenging long-held assumptions and remaining open when certainty feels far more comfortable. Intelligence helps us explain what we already know. Curiosity helps us discover what we've yet to understand. The moment a leader believes there's nothing left to question is often the moment they quietly stop growing. What's one assumption you've challenged recently that changed the way you lead? Or perhaps the better question is this... What belief are you still defending simply because it's worked well enough until now? LinkedIn LinkedIn News UK #HumanLeadership #Leadership #FutureOfWork #LinkedInNews

A teacher once told me, “This generation just doesn’t care.” But when I sat down with the same students — they had pages full of questions. They just weren’t asking them in class. We assume disinterest… when what they really feel is unsafe. Students don’t stop asking questions because they’re lazy. They stop when they feel their curiosity isn’t welcome. What we forget: Every child is curious — until it’s shut down. “Dumb question” jokes kill confidence. A fear of being wrong grows when being right is the only thing that gets praised. Many students give up on learning to protect their dignity — not because they’re weak. What classrooms must do: • Normalize “I don’t understand” — make it brave. • Acknowledge every question, even the small ones. • Teach students how to ask — not just how to answer. • Publicly praise students who admit confusion. Some of the most thoughtful students remain invisible — not because they don’t want to learn, but because we made asking feel dangerous. #AjayWrites #RethinkClassrooms #StudentVoice #CuriosityMatters #EducationReform #LeadershipInSchools #AskMoreQuestions

My team has stopped asking questions. They now wait for instructions. A leader shared this observation at last Thursday’s Melbourne Business School - Retail & Consumer Goods panel. It perfectly captured the curiosity crisis facing our industry in an uncertain operating environment. In a brilliant conversation with Adam Murphy 🌻 , moderated by Lenny Chudri, GAICD, we explored how to reignite innovation when uncertainty is our new normal. Here is what resonated most: 1. The 5-Question Rule That Changed Everything At a global FMCG giant, we were stuck. Innovation had become theatre, all talk, no breakthrough. So we tried something radical: “Curiosity Time”. Rule: For one hour every Friday, you could ONLY ask questions. No answers. No solutions. Just questions. The first session was painful. By week six? We had identified three breakthrough opportunities worth $5M. 🎯Try this tomorrow: Start your next meeting with 5 minutes of questions only. No answers allowed. 2. When Budget Cuts Forced Our Best Innovation Leading innovation at a major CPG company, I faced a 30% budget cut. Instead of scaling back, we asked: “What would we do if we had 10% of the budget?” That constraint forced us to partner with suppliers in ways we never imagined. We reduced a 12-18month innovation cycles to 3 months. The result? Our most successful launches that decade. Key insight: Every constraint hides an opportunity. 🎯 List your top 3 constraints right now. Pick one. Ask “How might this force us to be brilliant?” 3. The $8M Mistake That Taught Me Everything Years ago, I led a “perfect” innovation project. Great consumer research. Flawless execution. It failed spectacularly. Why? We had curiosity at the top but killed it everywhere else. Only 24% of employees feel curious at work, yet curiosity increases creativity by 34%. That gap is your innovation problem. At my next role: We measured “learning velocity” alongside EBIT. We celebrated fast failures publicly. We made questioning as important as delivering. 🎯 Your move: Ask your teams: “What are we pretending not to know?” Then actually listen. After commercialising 1,200+ innovations globally, from establishing industry-first research hubs, I know this: Curiosity is not a nice to have. It is your sustainable competitive advantage. Sharing this handy question. ❓If your biggest competitor had your constraints but twice your curiosity, what would they do differently? Some 📸 from an inspiring evening of #learning and #unlearning. Lenny Chudri, GAICD Adam Murphy 🌻 Innovation Gamechangers University of Melbourne Melbourne Business School #curiosity #innovation

IN THE AGE OF AI, THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE HAS SHIFTED FROM KNOWING MORE TO ASKING BETTER QUESTIONS For centuries, the person with the answers had the advantage. Knowledge was indeed power. Teachers, doctors, lawyers, consultants, executives, and experts built their value on what they knew. Information was scarce. Experience gave you access to answers that others didn't have. Success depended on accumulating knowledge. In today’s world, AI has democratized knowledge. Anyone can generate explanations, strategies, code, research or ideas in seconds. When everyone has access to answers, answers themselves stop being the advantage. The real differentiator is the quality of the questions we ask. Technology amplifies thinking—but only if we give it something worth thinking about. A mediocre question produces a mediocre answer, no matter how powerful the technology. A brilliant question unlocks insights that others never even think to explore. AI has commoditized information. It hasn't commoditized judgment. And judgment begins with asking the right question. Hence the quality of your future will increasingly depend on your ability to ask the right questions. And here is where the difference between average and exceptional has shifted from "What do you know?" to "What are you curious enough to ask?", making “INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY” one of the most valuable leadership traits of our time. In our business of Executive search, the best consultants don't impress clients with what they know but by asking questions that make the client pause and think. The best CEO/CXOs don't claim to have all the answers either. Their greatest strength lies in asking the one question that changes everyone else's thinking. When I started my entrepreneurial journey, I wasn't carrying a bag full of answers. I was carrying a notebook full of questions. I wasn't an industry insider and had no blueprint to follow. What I did have was relentless curiosity. By questioning assumptions others accepted, I discovered opportunities others overlooked. Looking back, every meaningful breakthrough in my career began with a question—not an answer. The best leaders today are the ones who create environments where people ask difficult questions. “What are we ignoring?” “What would our customer disagree with?” “If we started this company today, would we build it this way?” “What problem are we solving that AI can't?” Every innovation begins as a question. Every disruption starts with someone asking, "Why does it have to be this way?" In an AI-driven world, what will matter most is framing problems. Knowledge will remain important, but curiosity will become the multiplier. The professionals who will thrive over the next decade won't necessarily be those who know the most but those who can think the deepest & consistently ask questions others wont think of asking.      #ArtificialIntelligence #Leadership #IntellectualCuriosity #FutureOfWork