My LinkedIn profile has a cover image of a quote by Albert Einstein, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” I was thinking of changing it as I had posted that one ages ago, but I could not. So I thought I would write a post about why this means a lot to me.
Let me share a radical idea with you. Many of you might agree, many might not. Curiosity is empathy. Empathy is curiosity. If you are not genuinely curious, do anything you want, you cannot be empathetic. You need to ask the right questions from your team when they reach out to you for help. You need to be curious about their challenges, their perspectives, and their proposed solutions before you can truly understand and support them. Simply offering advice without understanding the root cause of their issue is like treating the symptom, not the disease. It’s ineffective, and frankly, it’s not helpful.
Think about it. When someone comes to you with a problem, what’s your first instinct? Do you jump in with a solution, based on your past experiences? Or do you ask questions? Do you try to understand the context, the nuances, the unspoken concerns? True empathy requires us to step outside of our own frame of reference and genuinely try to see the world through the other person’s eyes. And that requires curiosity.
It’s not just about asking any questions, though. It’s about asking the right questions. The kind of questions that dig deeper, that uncover the underlying issues, that demonstrate genuine interest in the other person’s experience. Questions like:
- Can you tell me more about what led to this situation?
- What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered so far?
- How do you see this impacting the team/project/customer?
- What are your thoughts on potential solutions?
- What support do you need from me to move forward?
- What is your feedback to me? (you want to know this firsthand)
These questions aren’t just about gathering information. They’re about showing that you care. They’re about demonstrating that you’re truly listening and that you’re invested in helping them find a solution. They signal respect and build trust. I cannot stress enough how imopprtant this is for your and your team’s personal development and a better collaboration culture.
I’ve always admired leaders who are both curious and empathetic. Personally, I’ve found that these qualities are essential for success. When I was in sales, being curious helped me negotiate better and close some really good deals. That’s continued in my marketing role, where I use my curiosity when talking budgets with vendors and planning with teams. And I’ve seen firsthand how much better team communication and collaboration are when a manager is truly empathetic.
So, I’m keeping the Einstein quote. It’s a reminder that even though I might not have all the answers, I can always ask the questions. And in doing so, I can cultivate empathy, build stronger connections, and create a more positive impact.
Are you passionately curious? What is your story?
#leadership #curiosity #communication #teamwork
PS This article was originally published on LinkedIn.
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