What Type of Curious Leader Are You?

Exploring the M-Workplace Curiosity Scale

Curiosity might be one of the most underrated superpowers in today’s workplace. Whether it’s a leader exploring new ways to inspire a team, a manager digging into the root of a problem, or an employee asking questions that light up an innovative idea, curiosity often ignites progress. 

Yet, in many workplaces, this trait is overlooked or misunderstood. In my journey of discovery, I recently discovered the M-Workplace Curiosity Scale. This tool sheds light on how curiosity manifests in professional settings and how it can be harnessed to drive meaningful change. In this article, we’ll explore how our brand of curiosity shapes how we work and how understanding our sense of curiosity and our teams can unlock new levels of growth, connection, and impact in our roles.

The four dimensions explored are:

Inquisitiveness: The desire to explore and gain knowledge.

Openness to Novelty: Willingness to embrace new experiences or ideas.

Stress Tolerance: The ability to engage with uncertainty and ambiguity.

Social Curiosity: Interest in understanding others’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviours

The reality is that everyone will index higher and lower depending on the situation we find ourselves and, of course, these can shift over time with deliberate focus and intention on growth (more on that later). For now, let’s jump into each dimension to understand better how we may or may not see ourselves in them.

Inquisitiveness

Inquisitiveness is a relentless drive to ask thoughtful, open-ended questions, diving deep into issues to uncover root causes rather than settling for surface-level answers. This form of curiosity fuels innovation and drives meaningful progress by challenging assumptions and exploring new possibilities.

Leaders and team members exhibiting inquisitiveness regularly seek out knowledge or skills that stretch beyond their immediate job requirements. They often explore industry trends, research unrelated topics purely out of intellectual curiosity, or question the status quo with inquiries like, “Why do we do it this way?” and “What’s another way to approach this?” Their behaviour encourages a mindset of exploration across the organization.

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 strong inquisitiveness—a trait that can be honed and amplified for even greater impact.

Inquisitiveness in Action: A Real-World Example

Consider a recurring issue of missed project deadlines in your organization. During a team meeting to address the problem, an inquisitive leader resists explanations like, “That’s just how long it takes.” Instead, they dig deeper, asking for targeted follow-ups:

• “What specific steps in the process are creating bottlenecks?”
• “Have we explored alternative workflows or tools to address this?”
• “What assumptions are we making that might be limiting our approach?”

Following the meeting, the inquisitive leader takes it a step further. They research project management best practices and identify a new software solution that improves task tracking and communication. Committed to continuous growth, they also enroll in a course on agile methodologies to better understand how other teams address similar challenges. This proactive approach resolves the immediate issue and equips the team with tools and knowledge for sustained improvement.

Imagine the transformative effect if inquisitiveness like this became embedded across your culture.

Building a Culture of Inquisitiveness

Fostering inquisitiveness is about more than individual behaviour; 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 meetings by inviting questions about the agenda or exploring what might be missing. You set the tone for others to follow when you consistently model this behaviour.
• Encourage inquisitive habits: Introduce 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 curiosity and thoughtful problem-solving.
• Create tools for inquiry: 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 inquiry: Recognize and reward team members who demonstrate inquisitiveness. Highlight their contributions in meetings or team communications, showing others that curiosity is valued and impactful.

The Impact of Inquisitiveness

When inquisitiveness becomes part of your organizational fabric, its benefits ripple across teams. Problems get addressed at their roots, processes get refined, and innovative ideas flourish. Beyond solving immediate challenges, inquisitiveness drives a culture of continuous improvement, where individuals feel empowered to explore, question, and grow.

As with any powerful trait, it’s not just about having inquisitive individuals—it’s about embedding it into how your team operates daily. When curiosity becomes a cultural cornerstone, the potential for growth and innovation becomes limitless.

Openness to Novelty

Openness to novelty is the ability—and enthusiasm—to explore new tools, processes, or strategies, even when the outcome is uncertain. It reflects a mindset of adaptability and creativity, where unconventional solutions become considered and encouraged. Leaders and team members with this trait view change as an opportunity for growth rather than a disruption to stability. Their willingness to explore uncharted territory fuels innovation and sets the stage for transformative progress.

Such individuals often thrive in dynamic environments, consistently bringing fresh perspectives and challenging entrenched norms. They may ask, “What if we tried something entirely different?” or “Is there a way to reimagine this process?” These team members often volunteer for new initiatives, experiment with bold ideas, and actively seek to improve existing practices—even if it means revisiting something they had previously endorsed.

Recognizing Openness to Novelty in Yourself and Others

To identify this trait, consider your response to change. Do you feel energized and curious when faced with new challenges, or do you instinctively resist them? If you naturally lean into innovation opportunities, you likely exhibit a strong openness to novelty. Likewise, think about your team: who steps forward with creative ideas or eagerly takes on high-risk, high-reward projects? These individuals exemplify this crucial dimension of curiosity.

Openness to Novelty in Action: A Real-World Example

During a company-wide brainstorming session focused on improving customer experience, a marketing manager suggested integrating augmented reality (AR) technology to create virtual product demonstrations. While some colleagues express skepticism due to unfamiliarity with the technology and perceived risks of innovating, the manager sees potential and volunteers to lead a pilot project.

They collaborate with the IT team to build a prototype and actively gather customer feedback. The pilot proves successful, enhancing customer engagement and setting a precedent for innovation. Their efforts inspire the team to approach future challenges with a similar mindset of exploration and possibility. This is openness to novelty in action—a willingness to try, learn, and iterate to drive meaningful progress.

Cultivating a Culture of Openness to Novelty

Building an organizational culture where openness to novelty thrives requires deliberate effort. Leaders play a critical role in creating environments that encourage experimentation, celebrate creativity, and minimize the fear of failure. Here’s how:

1. Encourage experimentation: Dedicate time and resources to testing new ideas. Formalize opportunities for this, such as innovation sprints, hackathons, or “blue-sky” brainstorming sessions where no idea is off-limits.
2. Reward risk-taking: Recognize and celebrate individuals who take calculated risks, even when those risks don’t lead to immediate success. Highlight the value of lessons learned to reinforce a growth mindset.
3. Promote cross-disciplinary collaboration: Bring together individuals from different teams or departments to brainstorm and solve problems. Diverse perspectives often spark groundbreaking ideas and foster a sense of collective creativity.
4. Create safe spaces for failure: Adopt “fail-forward” sessions—regular meetings where teams showcase ideas or projects that didn’t work as intended, focusing on what was learned rather than the failure itself. This reduces the stigma around failure and demonstrates its value as a stepping stone for improvement.

The Impact of Openness to Novelty

When openness to novelty becomes a cultural cornerstone, organizations are better equipped to navigate uncertainty, adapt to changing markets, and seize emerging opportunities. Teams that embrace new ideas and approaches are often more innovative, resilient, and competitive.

A culture of openness to novelty empowers employees to step outside their comfort zones, propose unconventional solutions, and embrace the unpredictable journey of experimentation. It’s not just about achieving immediate results—it’s about creating an environment where creativity and adaptability flourish, paving the way for long-term success.

Stress Tolerance

Stress tolerance is a hallmark of leaders who can remain composed and proactive when facing uncertainty, ambiguity, and high-pressure scenarios. It embodies persistence, enabling individuals to seek solutions to complex problems rather than becoming paralyzed by overwhelm. Leaders and teams with high stress tolerance see setbacks as opportunities to learn and improve rather than as signals to retreat. This quality fosters a resilience that transforms challenges into stepping stones for development and innovation.

Such leaders thrive in the “grey areas”—the undefined spaces where clear answers or predictable outcomes are absent. This ability to embrace uncertainty is not just a skill but a superpower. Instead of succumbing to pressure, they engage with it, reframing daunting challenges as puzzles to solve. This mindset diffuses tension and inspires confidence and clarity within their teams.

Characteristics of High Stress Tolerance

Leaders with strong stress tolerance often exhibit the following traits:

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

To cultivate stress tolerance in yourself, consider how you react to uncertainty. Do you approach it with curiosity and problem-solving, or do you retreat out of fear of failure? Recognizing your default response is the first step in developing resilience.

Stress Tolerance in Action: A Real-World Example

Imagine this scenario: a major client unexpectedly changes project requirements just days before the deadline, throwing the team into disarray. While panic might be a natural reaction, a leader with high stress tolerance remains calm and takes charge. Instead of assigning blame or succumbing to the chaos, they engage the team systematically. By dividing the project into manageable parts, they can break down the complexity of the problem. This also allows them to see the sum of the whole project to prioritize critical deliverables. They reassign roles and tasks by efficiently redistributing work, ensuring the team remains productive and focused–not panicked. 

The high stress tolerant leader models positive behaviour by reassuring the team, saying, “This is a chance to demonstrate our agility,” shifting the perspective from crisis to opportunity. Their composed demeanour helps the team meet the revised deadline and strengthens client relationships, showcasing the organization’s ability to adapt under pressure.

Building a Culture of Stress Tolerance

A culture that values stress tolerance equips teams to thrive under pressure. Key strategies to foster this include:

• Normalize challenges: Frame problems as inevitable parts of growth rather than catastrophic failures, which reduces fear and encourages proactive engagement.
• Encourage problem-solving: Teach teams to “work the problem” instead of letting the problem work them. Provide frameworks such as brainstorming sessions or decision matrices to guide their approach.
• Create space for reflection: Build time into workflows for individuals to step back, process, and assess situations rather than default to reactive behaviour.
• Foster psychological safety: Ensure team members feel safe to voice concerns, ask questions, and propose ideas without fear of judgment or blame. A brave and safe environment reduces stress and increases collaboration.

Tools and Techniques to Enhance Resilience

Innovative techniques can help normalize stress and make it manageable. One leader famously introduced a “safe word” into team meetings—a quirky but effective tool 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—it’s disarming and instantly shifts the mood.

Other tools include:

• Team De-Briefs: Regularly reflect on what went well and what could improve after high-pressure situations.
• Stress-Relief Breaks: Incorporate mindfulness moments, physical activity, or humour to alleviate tension during intense projects.

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.

Social Curiosity

Social curiosity thrives in leaders who demonstrate a genuine interest in their colleagues’ thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. This dimension of curiosity is more than simply asking questions—it’s about actively listening and seeking to understand others’ motivations and challenges. Leaders with a strong social curiosity excel at building bridges across departments and roles, uncovering insights that improve collaboration and foster a deep sense of team cohesion.

This form of curiosity is critical for cultivating inclusive environments where everyone feels valued and understood. By creating psychological safety—a culture where individuals feel comfortable sharing their ideas without fear of judgment—socially curious leaders inspire open communication and mutual respect.

Recognizing Social Curiosity in Action

Leaders and team members who exhibit social curiosity 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. Socially curious individuals act as facilitators, bridging gaps between diverse groups and demonstrating empathy during conflicts.

To recognize this trait in yourself, consider whether you genuinely enjoy learning from others’ experiences. Do you seek out diverse viewpoints and intentionally incorporate these insights into your decision-making? If so, you are likely demonstrating strong social curiosity.

Social Curiosity in Practice: A Real-World Example

Picture this: A product launch is on the horizon, but tensions have risen between two collaborating departments. A socially curious team lead notices the friction and steps in. During a meeting, they actively listen to both sides, asking thoughtful questions like “Can you walk me through your perspective on the timeline?” or “What challenges are you facing that we might not fully understand?”

By taking the time to explore each group’s unique motivations and frustrations, the leader uncovers a key miscommunication about resource allocation. Just as importantly, their approach makes both teams feel heard and valued—a priceless strategy when navigating tense situations. The leader then facilitates a follow-up session to align goals and clarify expectations, strengthening trust and collaboration between the departments.

This scenario illustrates how social curiosity resolves immediate issues and establishes a foundation for stronger partnerships in the future.

Building a Culture of Social Curiosity

Creating a workplace culture that prioritizes social curiosity requires deliberate effort from leaders. Here’s how to embed this trait into your organization:

1. 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.
2. 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 uncovers hidden insights and demonstrates that every voice matters.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Why Social Curiosity Matters

Social curiosity can be dismissed as a “soft skill,” but its impact on workplace dynamics is profound. 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 stronger, more cohesive teams equipped to tackle future challenges together.

By embedding social curiosity into your culture, you empower individuals to feel heard, valued and understood—transforming human connection into a strategic advantage. When people feel safe to share and contribute, the results speak for themselves.

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—Inquisitiveness, Openness to Novelty, Stress Tolerance, and Social Curiosity—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, risks fuel breakthroughs, and people feel empowered to bring their best ideas forward.

But curiosity doesn’t grow independently; it needs deliberate action and commitment. Leadership begins with you. Take a moment to reflect: Which dimension resonates most with your current strengths? Which one challenges you the most? Start today by choosing a dimension to focus on—experiment with small but consistent changes in your behaviour, and invite your team to do the same.

Remember, this isn’t about perfection or checking a box; 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, not respond. Small, deliberate actions compound into a culture where curiosity thrives.

Curiosity isn’t just what moves great leaders—it’s what moves teams, organizations, and the world. 

Now, what type of curious leader will you become, and how will you inspire your team to follow?

Stay Curious!