How high is your leadership curiosity quotient (LCQ)?
The first indication that you’re low on the curiosity scale is that you tend to accept things pretty much the way things are. But if you’re an effective leader, you’ll rank high on the curiosity scale. Your LCQ will be in the upper range, and as a result, you’ll be a driver of impact.
And the best news is that leadership curiosity is a skill that can be nurtured and developed. And it starts by understanding and leveraging the power of three simply but powerful questions.
1. Uncover the past with “Why?”
“Why?” peers into historical trends and asks “Why have we always done things this way?”, “Why have our results been slipping?” or “Why has our culture developed like this?”
The answers to these questions are found in the past. These “Why” questions force you to analyze the origins of things with a view to understanding the current state of things.
2. Understand the present with “What?”
“What?” looks around and asks, “What is happening in the other parts of the organization?” “What is our competition doing differently these days?”, and “What are our current highest priorities?”
The answers to these questions are found in the present. These “What” questions cause you to probe the present state of your team, organization, market, and so on in order to get to the heart of pressing issues.
3. Unlock the future with “How?”
“How” looks forward and asks, “How will we need to operate in the future?”, “How will the market change in the coming years?” and “How do we need to adapt our strategies to achieve future goals?”
The answers to these questions are found in the future. These “How” questions make you focus your attention on the coming weeks, months and years to drive necessary changes.
Put another way, curious leaders want to understand the past, be fully aware of the present, and look knowingly to the future.
If you’re looking for maximum results try using the “Who?”, “What?”, “How?” approach to your leadership.
It could turn your curiosity into a powerful driver for change.
