Leading With Curiosity by Stan Proffitt
The quality of the answers we discover is a function of the quality of the questions we ask. Shoshin Leadership is one powerful philosophical posture that leads to provocative questions. The Shoshin mindset is a means to provoking a shift in how teams see problems.
Last month I wrote about leading without assumption. Assumptions create a closed mind that is stuck in the view that one already knows what is really going on. This knowing typically leads to a lot of telling.
Shoshin, translated as beginner's mind, creates a mind that is open to possibilities; a mind that is fluid and adaptable. This mindset allows one to approach problems with a fresh view. It is the enabler that accelerates the improvement process by getting unstuck from historical views, opinions, biases and judgments.
In my work with executives, I find a lot of knowing. Leaders who believe they already know the answers to the most pressing problems also ask questions, but these questions are typically of lower quality and often have an agenda behind them. The questions asked by leaders who already know the answers are most often questions that drive a conversation in a pre-determined direction. This, by definition, is the opposite of curiosity. Therefore, it is not the asking of questions alone that indicates curiosity.
Listen to your own questions. Are your questions driven by an agenda, a knowing. Can you catch yourself asking questions that are really just a clever disguise for giving others your answers? Curiosity starts with the idea that I stand to learn something if I can get out of my own limiting viewpoint. Try adopting the position that you actually do not know the answer to a problem. Imagine that you are encountering a situation or issue for the first time, without any judgment or bias. Whether it is an issue relating to another individual, work group, process, changes in market conditions, regulatory changes, or any other challenge, first start with the idea that you do not have an answer and see where this leads your own thinking. The ability to see problems from a fresh vantage point is one building block of high performance leadership.
Last month I wrote about leading without assumption. Assumptions create a closed mind that is stuck in the view that one already knows what is really going on. This knowing typically leads to a lot of telling.
Shoshin, translated as beginner's mind, creates a mind that is open to possibilities; a mind that is fluid and adaptable. This mindset allows one to approach problems with a fresh view. It is the enabler that accelerates the improvement process by getting unstuck from historical views, opinions, biases and judgments.
In my work with executives, I find a lot of knowing. Leaders who believe they already know the answers to the most pressing problems also ask questions, but these questions are typically of lower quality and often have an agenda behind them. The questions asked by leaders who already know the answers are most often questions that drive a conversation in a pre-determined direction. This, by definition, is the opposite of curiosity. Therefore, it is not the asking of questions alone that indicates curiosity.
Listen to your own questions. Are your questions driven by an agenda, a knowing. Can you catch yourself asking questions that are really just a clever disguise for giving others your answers? Curiosity starts with the idea that I stand to learn something if I can get out of my own limiting viewpoint. Try adopting the position that you actually do not know the answer to a problem. Imagine that you are encountering a situation or issue for the first time, without any judgment or bias. Whether it is an issue relating to another individual, work group, process, changes in market conditions, regulatory changes, or any other challenge, first start with the idea that you do not have an answer and see where this leads your own thinking. The ability to see problems from a fresh vantage point is one building block of high performance leadership.
Posted by The Shoshin Leader at 2/27/2010 5:22 AM 
Categories: High Performance Leadership, Leadership Development, Executive Development, Leadership
Tags: Curiosity Executive Development High Performance Leadership Leadership
Categories: High Performance Leadership, Leadership Development, Executive Development, Leadership
Tags: Curiosity Executive Development High Performance Leadership Leadership
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