Are you a Curious Leader? Identify 3 weaknesses that may be holding you back from growing as a Leader.
The most successful leaders are committed to lifelong learning, growth, and development.
Most who are successful in doing so all have something in common: curiosity.
Knowledge, understanding, and wisdom will not seek you out. You have to go after growth. And the best way to do that is to be curious.
“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.” Dorothy Parker
Curious leaders never stop growing because they never stop learning.
Unfortunately, the higher you climb in a leadership position, the more difficult it is to remain curious. Countless people in leadership roles struggle with this and, in turn, lose momentum or never achieve their goals.
Weaknesses that can limit a leader’s curiosity:
Insecurity
It is almost impossible for an insecure leader to contribute to the success of those who follow them. This is a dangerous trap to find yourself in. The good news is, it’s not hard to see coming. Insecure leaders are the ones who don’t stop talking. They will perpetually give you answers instead of asking you questions because they don’t want to appear weak, unprepared, or inexperienced. Only secure leaders choose to grow in knowledge and wisdom over the fear of being called stupid.
Single-Solution Thinking
Leadership is not math – there is always more than one solution! If you believe there is only a single correct solution, you will either get frustrated when you can’t find it, or you will stop searching when you think you have found it and miss better ideas. No idea is perfect—no matter how good it is—and ideas can always be improved. Keep asking if there is a better way to do things. This will energize, challenge, and inspire those around you who are hungry to learn as well.
Pride
So many executives have refrained from being curious because of their egos. It’s as if they are afraid to appear as if they still have room to learn and grow. Here’s the hard truth: find a leader who has no more room to learn, and you’ve found a leader who is finished.
The founder of Sharper Image, Richard Thalheimer, perfectly counters pride. He says, “It’s better to look uninformed than to be uninformed. Curb your ego and keep asking questions.”
You’ve probably heard the expression If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. John Maxwell says, “That phrase was not coined by someone dedicated to personal growth!” But what if you rephrase the question a few different ways?
If it ain’t broke, how can we make it better?
If it ain’t broke, when is it likely to break in the future?
If it ain’t broke, how long will it serve as the world changes?
Begin to ask yourself these questions in the context of your leadership environment. As you become more curious, you will expand the horizons on your growth and your potential success.
What will you learn when you seek? As we ask questions and discover perspectives, our world grows larger on the outside, and we grow larger on the inside.
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