Curiosity — Your Performance Differentiator

What purpose do your questions serve? Do you ask to know or to learn, and what difference does it make? Learn how to strengthen your curiosity muscle and amplify your leadership with tips from this recent article in Forbes.

In his Forbes article “Why Curiosity May Be the Most Underrated Career Skill,” Rodger Duncan explains the significance of curiosity and how to develop it. He points out that asking questions alone is insufficient. We need to be intentional about the kinds of questions we’re asking and why we’re asking them in order to fuel a learning culture and transform our schools.

(ChatGPT was used to help craft the following summary).

Why Curiosity Matters

1. It’s a Core Career and Organizational Skill. Curiosity isn’t just a “nice-to-have” soft skill anymore — it’s essential in rapidly changing work environments where assumptions quickly become outdated.
2. Drives Better Thinking and Adaptation. People who are genuinely curious push beyond surface answers, asking “why?” to uncover deeper insights. This prevents teams and individuals from operating on stale or incomplete information.
3. Helps Avoid Stagnation. Without curiosity, professionals and organizations risk sticking with the same thinking patterns, even when contexts, students & families, or internal conditions change.
4. Enhances Learning vs. Knowing. Duncan distinguishes between asking to know (factual) and asking to learn (expansive), with the latter fueling deeper understanding and growth.
5. Breaks Down Silos & Improves Collaboration. Curious teams tend to look beyond departmental (grade-level and building) boundaries, helping everyone see how their roles impact the student experience and organizational outcomes.
6. Psychological Safety Matters. Curiosity flourishes only when people feel safe to ask questions without fear of judgment or repercussion.
7. Leaders Shape Culture. Leaders who model curiosity (by asking questions and admitting they don’t know all the answers) create environments where others feel empowered to explore and challenge assumptions. 

How to Develop and Foster Curiosity

1. Reflect Before Discussing. Use a three-minute quick write so colleagues can write down their own interpretation before discussing an issue or challenge of a challenge, which sparks richer dialogue and reveals misalignment.
2. Ask Intentional Questions. Practice asking probing, open-ended questions that lead to deeper insight rather than surface facts.
3. Create Psychological Safety. Leaders should cultivate environments where people feel comfortable taking intellectual risks and asking questions without fear of embarrassment or negative consequences. 
4. Set Aside Time for Learning and Exploration. Teams can dedicate time to non-work learning activities (e.g., SAI events😉, “learning meetings”), making exploration part of routine work life.
5. Model “I Don’t Know”. Leaders should openly admit when they don’t have the answers. This demonstration shows that curiosity is valued as a driver of insight, not weakness. 

Bottom Line
Curiosity matters because it fuels deeper learning, adaptability, innovation, and better collaboration, while also preventing teams and individuals from becoming stuck in outdated thinking. Developing it requires intentional behaviors — asking meaningful questions, creating safe environments, modeling curiosity from the top, and embedding exploration into everyday work habits. 

Read the full article