Curiosity as an enabler of change: part two.
I got an amazing response to my last post about curiosity. That was the case on X as well as other platforms. The comments sparked such a rich conversation. So I want to share a few of the themes - & some contributions - here.
Many comments linked curiosity to the quality of listening & attention. As Penny Triantafillou reflected, building a culture of curiosity is closely related to our ability to listen - really listen - so we can ask better questions, which depends on openness to new information & being present (not listening just to respond). That’s the shift I described in the first post: moving from trying to have the "right" answer to staying with “what’s really going on here?” long enough for deeper insight to emerge.
Others emphasised that curiosity isn’t reserved for moments of crisis or uncertainty. Leona Bishop noted it helps prevent slipping into rigidity & autopilot, keeps attention fresh, supports learning, & invites exploration rather than premature certainty. Curiosity doesn’t delay action - it improves the quality of action - becoming a continuous source of renewal & effectiveness.
A strong theme was that curiosity & high standards aren’t opposites; they reinforce each other. As Arokia Antonysamy wrote, curiosity increases experimentation & permission to fail safely, learn quickly, & try again — which raises standards over time. Arokia suggested regulators might ask not only “Are you compliant?” but “What experiments have you tried recently — & what did you learn when they didn’t work?” - blending curiosity with accountability in highly regulated systems.
There was also a thread about power & emotion. Jack Ricchiuto described the freedom to question as a political act: shifting people from certainties that divide to curiosities that connect. Marrit Dikker Hupkes reminded us that in uncertainty, emotional triggers shape reactions — & that curiosity (with courage) creates space to explore the bigger picture. Reza Hosseini Ghomi, MD, MSE added a neuroscience lens: threat narrows cognition, while curiosity reopens it; shifting from “what’s the answer?” to “what are we missing?” can move teams from defensiveness to shared sense-making.
Several comments focused on everyday practice. Onifade-Esan Modupeola Bolaji & Suzanne Dixon highlighted designing meetings around questions rather than updates, signalling that exploration is valued over performance theatre. And Bill Powell reminded us curiosity is built in the everyday “little” moments - not big speeches, but how we run the next conversation.
See this piece on “answer-driven” to “question-driven” leadership by
@DrBenLaker:
forbes.com/sites/benjaminlak….
See my graphic for questions — inspired by many of the comments — that may help blend curiosity with accountability.
Thanks to all who commented. Apologies I couldn't include more of the brilliant contributions. Long may we keep discussing critical issues related to change, especially on X, even when we disagree.