Curiosity can open doors in your mind and in your life. Is yours alive and well?
Some of us have squished our curiosity… too busy, too distracted, too tired to allow our brains to explore.
But, within every one of us resides the curiosity of a child. It’s there, if we’re willing to tap into it, intentionally pay attention to it, allow it to play with ideas, accept its suggestions.
Here’s one way:
-Look at what is and ask… What’s another way? What could be even better?
-What could happen if we shifted our approach a bit? Changed completely?
-What if you or your company (department, team) had an infusion of time, money, resources and nothing stood in your way? What might that open up for you? What else? What else?
For years, leadership experts Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner have said the best leaders are continuous learners. Curious leaders are open to ideas, willing to see things from different perspectives.
You never know what might trigger the next idea.
Back in the 1990s renting movies in a store to take home and watch in the comfort of your home was popular. One day, Reed Hastings forgot to return one of his movies on time and was hit with a $40 fine. Grumpily thinking about how high that late fee was for a movie on cassette that would have cost less to buy, and anticipating his wife’s reaction when he told her it happened again, he started thinking of alternatives.
It hit him that health clubs charge a monthly fee and you can go as often as you like. What if that approach were used to rent movies? Could it work? How might it work? What might it open up? Many thought Reed was nuts. But he pursued his vision and created… Netflix.
What could you be curious about? What might your team want to be curious about?
