Yes, I know…this is lesson 2. However most of you were not here on the journey and to be fair..it was just a linked in post. My thoughts have evolved and I thought I would share this one with everyone!
What You'll Take Away
♦ Curiosity is a leadership skill, not a personality trait. The best leaders ask more than they tell.
♦ A leader who never asks questions is broadcasting, not leading. Their team notices, and they stop bringing their best ideas forward.
♦ The right kind of question ("What surprised you?" instead of "What's the risk?") builds trust and gets you to better answers faster.
The Nod That Says Nothing
I've sat in more rooms than I can count where someone poured their heart into a presentation. To leadership, to cross functional teams, to clients. And the senior person at the table just nodded, said "thanks," and moved on to the next item.
Every single time, I walk away thinking the same three things. Did they actually hear what was just said? Did it matter to them at all? Did the person who presented feel seen?
Leaders who don't ask questions aren't leading. They're broadcasting.
Great leadership has very little to do with having the best ideas in the room. It's about creating an environment where the best ideas can actually emerge. And that environment starts with curiosity, the real kind, not the performative kind.
Ask Like a Curious Kid, Not a Critic
When your team brings you something, a deck, a strategy, a hunch they've been chewing on for weeks, don't immediately start poking holes or offering the quick fix. That shuts the whole thing down. It tells the room the conversation is already over.
Instead, ask open questions. Be genuinely fascinated. Pull on the threads that seem interesting to you, not just the ones that feel risky. Be curious the way a kid is curious, full of "wait, why?" and "how did you figure that out?"
Not "what's the risk here?" but "what surprised you as you built this?" Not "did you think about the downside?" but "what were you wrestling with when this came together?"
That kind of curiosity builds trust. It makes people feel heard, important, and valued, and it gets you to better answers faster than trying to sound smart ever will.
The Lesson
If you're in the room and you're not asking questions, you're not really in the room. And if you're a leader who never asks questions, your team notices. Eventually, they stop offering their best, because they've learned it doesn't matter.
Community Challenge
Have you had a leader whose questions unlocked something for you or your team? Or have you walked out of a meeting wondering if anyone actually cared what was said? Pick one and tell me about it.
CURIOUS / IGNORED
Dan Page