Curiosity is a powerful core trait of most effective leaders. Being naturally inquisitive and interested in others and the world around you is a hallmark of successful leaders who are often critical thinkers. Instead of taking things at face value, an inquisitive individual will question why something isn't working. This can be anything from a complicated set of organizational policies to a complicated problem in the office. When you ask a question about anything, be sure to listen carefully and really absorb the information before making assumptions or taking actions on your own. Here are some techniques for asking questions that will help you become a better leader.
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Curiosity is one of the first steps to building trust. Asking probing questions that enable you to differentiate yourself from others builds your credibility as an individual with a capacity for reason and analysis. When you can clearly and confidently assess arguments then you demonstrate the ability to critically think and apply logic. Rather than assuming something simply because you have been advised by someone, or even because it seems logical, challenge the premise and demonstrate that you can understand it and apply logic to support it.
Curiosity also helps you gain a deeper understanding of what's important and why. As you gain deeper understanding of a situation or subject then you will have more opportunity to justify your choices and ensure you are not making decisions based on fear, ignorance or a lack of information. Curiosity can also make a difficult situation easier to deal with as you will be able to explore all the options available to you rather than acting knee high in anxiety.
Curiosity is an important trait of many effective leaders. Yet, many of them are not curious enough! They will sit around and anticipate something rather than taking the action required to achieve their desired result. Even when confronted with obstacles or problems that seem difficult, many leaders will simply try to avoid or postpone action. Instead of gaining advantage and doing their best, they will do nothing. This is one of the reasons that people around them will get on better with them than those who are proactive and curious.
Curiosity is also a core trait if you are prepared to put into action what you learn and to critically think about every decision you make. Being prepared to commit to new ideas, to take a position, to prepare a presentation or to write a report is an essential part of ensuring you are moving forward towards your goal. Taking everything into consideration before making a decision enables you to make the best possible decisions which will bring you closer to your goal and increase your chances of success.
Curiosity is also a core trait if you are capable of self-directed learning. Many of the most successful leaders were not born with this quality. However, as they learnt how to use their inquisitiveness, they learned to use it in other areas of their life. For example, many successful business leaders were not born with the ability to negotiate effectively. However, by mastering the principles of negotiation and how to apply them in different situations, they developed the ability to become effective managers and negotiators.
Curiosity is also a core trait if you are curious about other people and their lives and about the world around us. We are all curious about something or someone if we don't try to put it off, if we don't avoid looking at it or if we are not afraid to ask questions. If we can't ask questions, we can't learn. Curiosity is one of the fundamental processes that all of us use to gain information about the world around us and the people and things that matter in it.
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Curiosity is also a core trait if you are a critical thinker. Critical thinkers are those who try to understand a situation and their results before making any conclusion. These people are not afraid to ask questions and seek the truth. Asking questions is not an act of aggression, but an act of inquiry that aim at finding a solution to a problem. Asking a question puts the person in control, rather than the other way round where the other party gains control. Thus, when a critical thinker makes a mistake, it's usually not because he or she is afraid to admit that he or she was wrong, but because he or she tries to understand the effects of the mistake instead of just ignoring it and moving on.
