the curiosity over control: leadership lessons i’m stealing from my boss
i’ve been watching my boss closely lately, and i’ve got to say, their approach to leadership is eye-opening. it’s all about curiosity, not control. i’m jotting down these observations as a guide for my future self, because this is the kind of leader i want to be.
the curiosity playbook
ask, don’t tell: everytime we faced with a problem, he ask and dont tell: “what approaches have you considered?” or “how do you think we could improve this?” you might be surprised at the answers you get. i’ve seen my boss use this technique to uncover solutions nobody else had thought of.
embrace the weird ideas: when someone pitches something off-the-wall, he does not shut it down. say, “that’s interesting. how can we test it on a small scale?” who knows, it might just work. some of our team’s most innovative solutions came from ideas that initially seemed crazy.
failure? no problem: when things go south, he does not point fingers. ask, “what can we learn from this? how does this inform our next move?” failure is just data with a bad reputation. my boss’s approach to setbacks has completely changed how i view mistakes.
question everything: “we’ve always done it this way” is the death knell of innovation. regularly ask, “why do we do it this way? what alternatives haven’t we considered?” i’ve seen how this constant questioning keeps our team from falling into complacency.
listen first, solve later: when shit hits the fan, he resist the urge to jump in with solutions. instead, say, “walk me through what happened.” understanding the problem is half the battle. this approach has led to more thorough and effective problem-solving in our team.
why this matters this curiosity-driven approach isn’t just feel-good fluff. i’ve seen it create space for innovation, build trust within the team, and show everyone that their ideas truly matter. it’s way more engaging than the old command-and-control style i’ve experienced elsewhere.
the biggest lesson? great leaders don’t need all the answers. they just need to ask the right questions. note to future me
everytime im in charged and im tempted to lay down the rule, i hope i’ll pause and channel this curiosity instead. ask questions. encourage experiments. embrace the weird ideas. it’s not just about being a nice boss – it’s about unleashing the full potential of the team.
to future me: remember the best ideas often come from the most unexpected places. stay curious, and you’ll never stop learning – or leading.
if you are reading up to this point, sorry but this not for you but for my future self..