What Kind of Curious Leader Are You?

11 minute read

What Kind of Curious Leader Are You?

The Four Dimensions of Curiosity

We’ve all heard the flight attendant’s instructions: “Put on your oxygen mask first before assisting others.” When it comes to curiosity, what is true in the air on a plane is just as true on the ground in the workplace. Before we can help our team members embrace curiosity, we must look within ourselves. The first step in becoming a curious leader is understanding yourself. In a sense, we must get curious about our own curiosity.

The world isn’t divided into a simple binary of the curious and the incurious. Curiosity is intricate and multifaceted. In 2019, Psychologist Todd B. Kashdan and his colleagues at the Well-Being Laboratory at George Mason University developed a multidimensional work-related curiosity scale. The model allows users to understand the complexity of their own curiosity through four workplace curiosity dimensions: Joyous Exploration, Stress Tolerance, Openness To People’s Ideas, and Deprivation Sensitivity. Kashdan’s scale can help business leaders answer the crucial question: what kind of curious leader am I?

Kashdan calls Joyous Exploration “the prototype of curiosity,” likening the experience to “sitting on your porch to hear the unique wall of distortion from thousands of cicadas communicating together.” Off the porch and in the workplace, joyous exploration reflects the inherent pleasure of inquisitiveness – the impulse to ask thoughtful questions, dive deep into issues, and uncover root causes rather than settle for surface-level answers. This form of curiosity fuels innovation and drives meaningful progress by challenging assumptions and exploring new possibilities.

Inquisitive leaders and team members who are engaged in joyous exploration regularly seek knowledge or skills beyond their immediate job requirements. They explore industry trends, research unrelated topics purely from intellectual curiosity, or question the status quo. Their exuberance encourages a mindset of similar exploration across the organization. Joy breeds more joy.

To recognize this trait in yourself, reflect on your motivations for learning. Are you drawn to understanding for its own sake, even when there’s no direct tie to an immediate goal or task? If so, you are likely demonstrating joyous exploration – a trait that can be honed and amplified for even greater impact.

For a leader, fostering joyous exploration in the workplace is a community endeavour, not an individual one. It’s about creating a space where curiosity is normalized, celebrated, and rewarded. Here are some ways to cultivate this environment within your organization:

  •       Model inquisitiveness in meetings. Start each session by inviting questions about the agenda or exploring what might be missing. The leader sets the tone for others to follow.
  •       Encourage structured approaches like The 5 Whys, Lessons Learned, or Project Debriefs as routine practices. Over time, these habits can become second nature for your team, fostering a culture of exploration and curious problem-solving.
  •       Create tools for exploration. Dedicated channels on platforms like Slack for questions, knowledge-sharing, or brainstorming can reinforce the value of curiosity. These tools signal that exploration and inquiry are integral to how your organization operates.
  •       Celebrate your team’s explorations. Recognize and reward team members who demonstrate inquisitiveness. Highlight their contributions in meetings or team communications, showing others that curiosity is valued, impactful and joyful.

When joyous exploration becomes part of your organizational fabric, the benefits ripple across teams. When problems are regarded as welcome challenges, they get addressed at their roots. Processes get refined and innovative ideas flourish. Joyous exploration drives a culture of continuous improvement, where inquisitive individuals feel empowered to explore, question, and grow. And, more importantly, curiosity becomes a cultural cornerstone of the business as a whole. The potential for growth and innovation becomes limitless.

The second dimension, Stress Tolerance, refers to the ability to tolerate uncertain, ambiguous and complex scenarios. “You might view a person, object, idea, perspective, or event as novel, interesting, uncertain,” Kashdan writes, “but unless you feel capable of coping with the anxiety of investigating something where you lack information or experience, you are likely to avoid instead of approach.” Stress Tolerance enables individuals to seek solutions to complex problems rather than becoming paralyzed by overwhelm. This quality fosters a resilience that transforms setbacks into stepping stones.   

Leaders with higher stress tolerance thrive in the “grey areas”—the undefined spaces absent of clear answers or predictable outcomes. The ability to embrace uncertainty isn’t just a skill. It’s a superpower. Such leaders engage with pressure rather than succumb to it. They reframe daunting challenges as puzzles to solve. This mindset diffuses tension and inspires confidence and clarity in their teams.

Leaders with strong stress tolerance often exhibit the following traits:

  •       Emotional regulation. They remain calm during crises and set a stabilizing tone for their team.
  •       Proactive problem-solving. They focus on actionable solutions rather than fixating on what went wrong.
  •       Curiosity under pressure. These leaders ask clarifying questions and explore possibilities.
  •       Reframing challenges. They position obstacles as growth opportunities and encourage their teams to approach issues constructively.

To cultivate stress tolerance in yourself, consider your reaction to uncertainty. Do you approach ambiguous and complex situations with curiosity? Or do you retreat out of fear of failure? Recognizing your default response is the first step in developing the sort of resilience stress-tolerant leaders possess.

Innovative techniques can help raise the collective tolerance to stress in a workplace. I know of one leader who introduced a ‘safe word’ into team meetings—a quirky but effective tool employees could say to diffuse tension when emotions ran high. Their word of choice, “rutabaga,” became a lighthearted signal for the team to pause, recalibrate, and reset the discussion. Imagine the relief of saying something as unexpected as “rutabaga” in a heated boardroom. There’s nothing like invoking a humble root vegetable to lighten a heavy mood.

In addition to assigning a safe word, there are other techniques a team can employ to manage stress and enhance resilience. Team debriefs, for example, allow colleagues to reflect on what went well, and what could be improved, after high-pressure situations. And scheduling stress-relief breaks can alleviate tension by incorporating humour, mindfulness practice or physical activity into a high-anxiety workday.

By modelling resilience and embedding these practices into the organizational culture, leaders can transform stress from a liability into a catalyst for growth and innovation.

The third dimension is Openness to People’s Ideas, which is an acceptance of, and desire for, the thoughts, behaviours and potential of others. “There is no more efficient and effective manner to learn about the world than by dissecting the experiences and knowledge of other people,” Kashdan writes. This dimension “is a gateway to the reservoir of knowledge and experiences held by people with diverse experiences, views, and perspectives.”

This dimension of curiosity is about more than simply asking questions—it’s about actively listening and seeking to understand others’ motivations and challenges. Leaders with this openness excel at building bridges across departments and roles. They uncover insights that improve collaboration and foster a deep sense of team cohesion.

Leaders and team members who exhibit an openness to people’s Ideas often use language that invites dialogue and deeper understanding. Phrases like “I’d love to hear more about your perspective” or “What led you to think about it that way?” are hallmarks of this behaviour. Open individuals act as facilitators. They bring people together and demonstrate empathy during conflicts.

Just as with the other dimensions of curiosity, creating a workplace culture that prioritizes an openness to the ideas of others requires deliberate effort from leaders. Here’s how to embed this trait into your organization:

  • Promote active listening. Model behaviour by showing full attention during conversations—avoid interruptions, ask follow-up questions, and summarize what you’ve heard to ensure understanding. Encourage others to do the same.
  • Ask more questions. Create a habit of inquiry. During meetings, encourage team members to ask clarifying questions or share their viewpoints before moving to conclusions. This practice can uncover hidden insights and demonstrate that every voice matters.
  • Encourage cross-team collaboration. Break down silos by facilitating interactions between departments. Initiatives like cross-functional project teams or informal lunch-and-learn sessions can help build connections and foster mutual understanding.
  • Celebrate diverse perspectives. Publicly recognize and reward individuals who share unique viewpoints or help bridge gaps in understanding. When people see their input is valued, they’re more likely to contribute meaningfully.
  • Create psychological safety. Prioritize inclusivity by ensuring everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns. This can include adopting feedback mechanisms, hosting open forums, or simply leading with empathy.

Being open to the ideas of others seems like an obvious trait of effective leaders, something easily dismissed as a “soft skill.” But this dimension has a profound impact on workplace dynamics. Leaders who embrace this dimension of curiosity unlock the potential of their teams by fostering an environment of trust, collaboration, and inclusion. These leaders resolve conflicts and build cohesive teams equipped to tackle future challenges together.

By embedding an openness to other people’s ideas into your culture, you empower individuals to feel heard, valued and understood—transforming human connection into a strategic advantage.

“When there is something you want to know, and you don’t have the answer yet,” Kasdan writes, “an itch lingers that needs to be scratched.” This is Deprivation Sensitivity, the final dimension of the workplace curiosity scale. This dimension refers to the state of uncertainty people feel when they try to solve difficult problems, ponder complex ideas, or try to fill the gaps in their knowledge. Anxiety and tension, rather than joy, characterize the experience.

A person engaged in deprivation sensitivity is relentless. They won’t rest until they’ve answered the questions they’ve been asked. They might not even smile. Such individuals focus on solving the problem at the end of the road and care little about enjoying the process. “If joyous exploration is about the journey,” Kashdan writes, “deprivation sensitivity is about reaching the destination.”

Deprivation sensitivity often reveals itself in moments of intellectual tension. Reflect on how you respond when faced with a complex problem or unresolved question. Are you driven to keep digging, even when others might let the issue rest? Do you find yourself awake at night, replaying scenarios or brainstorming solutions until clarity emerges? If so, you may naturally gravitate toward this form of curiosity.

It’s important to channel this trait productively. While the pursuit of answers can yield breakthroughs, the accompanying tension can become counterproductive if left unchecked. Recognizing your limits and balancing persistence with perspective are key to leveraging this dimension effectively.

For leaders, fostering deprivation sensitivity in the workplace means encouraging rigorous problem-solving while managing the potential for burnout. Consider these strategies to create an environment where focused inquiry thrives:

  • Encourage analytical thinking. Use structured problem-solving frameworks like The 5 Whys or fishbone diagrams to uncover root causes. These tools help channel the drive to resolve ambiguity into clear, actionable steps.
  • Model persistence. Show your team how to balance persistence with adaptability. Share examples of times when you stayed committed to finding an answer but also knew when to seek help or pivot your approach.
  • Provide space for deep work. Schedule uninterrupted focus hours or problem-solving sessions. This dedicated time allows individuals to engage with complex issues without distractions.
  • Celebrate progress. Recognize not just the results but the effort and insights gained along the way. Highlight how persistence and problem-solving lead to long-term success.

While Deprivation Sensitivity is a powerful driver of problem resolution, balancing it with the other dimensions of curiosity is essential. For example, pairing deprivation sensitivity with joyous exploration brings lightness and enthusiasm to the process, helping teams appreciate the journey, not just the destination. Cultivating openness to people’s ideas encourages diverse perspectives, preventing tunnel vision and leading to faster, more creative solutions. And strengthening stress tolerance ensures that the pressure of resolving ambiguity doesn’t lead to overwhelm, maintaining a steady and sustainable pace for inquiry.

Deprivation sensitivity is the compass that keeps teams moving toward clarity and resolution, even when the terrain is uncertain. Leaders strong in this dimension serve as determined problem-solvers, demonstrating that discomfort with uncertainty can fuel progress and innovation. By creating an organizational culture that values persistence, structured inquiry, and balance, leaders can turn the itch of unanswered questions into the fuel that drives transformative results.

So, what type of curious leader are you?

Curiosity is not just a trait—it’s a transformative leadership superpower. By understanding and cultivating the four dimensions of curiosity— Joyous Exploration,  Stress Tolerance, Openness To People’s Ideas, and Deprivation Sensitivity—you can unlock new levels of growth, connection, and innovation for yourself and your team. Each dimension offers unique strengths that, when embraced collectively, create a culture where challenges become opportunities, where risks fuel breakthroughs, and where people feel inspired to bring their best ideas forward.

Curiosity doesn’t grow independently. It needs deliberate action and commitment. Leadership begins with the leader. Reflect upon the four dimensions of curiosity. Which resonates most with your current strengths? Which challenges you most? Choose a dimension to focus on. Experiment with small but consistent changes in your behaviour, and invite your team to do the same.

This isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. Lead a meeting with more questions than answers. Volunteer for an initiative that pushes you out of your comfort zone. Stay calm and curious when faced with the unknown. Listen with the intent to understand rather than to respond. Tiny, deliberate actions compound into a culture where curiosity thrives.

Stay curious!

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