Do you have this Leadership Superpower?
TRY THIS...
Curiosity opens the doors to awareness, and that makes curiosity a leadership (no, let’s go all out and call it a RELATIONSHIP) superpower!
Curiosity is ‘the eager wish or desire to know or learn about something …or someone!’ It sounds like an inner driver, but regardless of what goes on inside, it is also a behavioural relationship building skill that you can hone and fine tune on the outside.
Here are 7 things that you can do to power up your curiosity superpower.
Ask yourself why? - a lot! In fact - just ask a lot more questions in general.
Why? Because curious people make fascinating discoveries….Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why. - Bernard Baruch
Add the phrase ‘Tell me more…’ to your most frequently used phrases… and then listen like your life depends on it.
Why? The brain thrives on novelty, and novelty triggers the Dopamine (I like it, give me more) system, so get triggered.
Try something new - whether it’s a travel route, breakfast menu or seat at the table.
Why? See item 2, why restrict it to conversation when you can build it in everywhere (maybe not all at once).
Make it fun - Take the team to the toy shop (or Amazon if you must) and ask them to write a Santa list for their younger self and see what pops up.
Why? The brain loves reward and fun is a reward. If being curious = fun you are more likely to do more of it.
Live with a notebook in your pocket - Write down things you notice, things that surprise you and things you find interesting or confusing, even if you do nothing more with it.
Why? Writing brings you into the moment and wires experiences into your brain in new ways.
Take the ‘this story is half empty’ approach - Find the odd rabbit hole to jump down, as if you know there must be more to this - here’s some reading for you around fact 5 above
Why? If we assume this is the end, we stop. If we assume there MUST be more - we are much more likely to go looking for what and where that is… (watch any child who gets only half a round biscuit to see how that’s done!)
Refuse to accept that I stopped dead at 6 when I promised you 7… and ask for more! more! more!
SOMETHING TO PONDER...
You can stretch your curiosity muscle in bite sized chunks this December by reflecting on the kinds of gifts you give people and how you give them. Use this 24 day run up to Christmas to test some relationship building gift ideas.
Yes, I know we’re already over halfway through December, but my cup isn’t half full or half empty, it is TOTALLY FULL… half full of days to refer back to and half full of days still to come!
Here is a preview of todays gift and if you like that, then click on the image to see the rest on LinkedIn!
Not interested in 24 separate posts? I get it.
Let me know here and I’ll send you the full list in January as a single document.
SOMETHING FOR LATER...
I have been listening closely to feedback and your requests for other ways to add to your positive relationship building at work.
From 2024 I will therefore be adding a relationship focused management development approach to my portfolio. I have found something that begins with Insights Discovery (my favourite awareness building tool) and is designed to be as practical as possible.
I will be accredited by the end of January and plan to start offering this from March /April 2024.