‘Curiosity is the engine of achievement’

Ken Robinson

Awakening curiosity

I was at an event with headteachers last week and as I outlined the themes we were going to be exploring I asked them what they were most curious about. One table, after talking for a few moments said ‘we all agreed that we’ve forgotten how to be curious, so we can’t answer the question’.

Others in the room nodded.

Somehow in that moment curiosity felt like a luxury. It felt out of reach and special. We know that schools are places where young minds are developed and one of the joys of teaching is cultivating the curiosity of children and young people. So why is it not the same for us?

Headteachers are not alone in this seeming lack of curiosity. The Harvard Business Review in their article ‘why curiosity matters’, reported that ‘a study of 230 high level leaders showed they preferred to talk and take action rather than ask questions’.

Curiosity does indeed matter. Leaders who model curiosity are more likely to lead organisations that demonstrate the following:

• More solutions oriented behaviour

• Reduction in group conflict

• More open communication

• Better team performance

• An open to learning culture

But for those of us who may feel out of touch with our curiosity all is not lost. We are born curious it’s innate and natural to every child. But somewhere along the way, bit by bit, we lose it. Can being more present and mindful help us to be more curious?

Let’s take a look.

How Mindfulness can help.

Mindfulness changes how we pay attention to things. It invites us to experience the world in all its richness by being present, free of distraction and open to whatever we see, hear and feel. Curiosity is core to all mindfulness practices.

Here are some to have a go at. Why not choose one and intentionally practice it?

 Listen without judgement.

It's so easy to get drawn into our inner monologue when in a conversation. We can find ourselves judging someone, finishing their sentences for them in our heads, or composing what we are going to say whilst they are still speaking. Curious leaders are focused wholly on what the other person is saying allowing them to feel truly seen and heard before responding.

 Pivot to questions

The art of leading is the art of pivoting. Next time you feel the impulse to give advice or answer someone's question remind yourself you have a choice. You could pivot to curiosity, perhaps to coaching, and ask a question instead. This empowering leadership act builds a culture of curiosity.

 Practice the mind of the novice

We can only ask genuine questions if we are able to drop the mind of the expert and adopt the mind of the novice. We can do this by asking ourselves internal questions such as 'what else might be true here?', and by using phrases such as 'I'm wondering about ...' ' how might we .....' or 'what might happen if...'. You will find your own way of dropping the mind of the expert and being the 'novice'.

Start with yourself

Being curious about ourselves is a way of engaging with our experience in a more open way. We often ignore our inner world, but it’s a powerful teacher offering us clues about what’s really going on. Next time when fear or overwhelm arises, instead of pushing it away or berating ourselves for feeling like this, be curious about the emotion. Where are you feeling it in the body, is it static or moving, does it have a shape, colour or texture, is it accompanied by thoughts and can you be curious about those too? This practice of paying attention to what’s going on inside ourselves, with curiosity and without judgement is a path to knowing ourselves better.