Be Curious and Keep Learning

Every once in a while, I meet a leader, who is under tons of pressure, swamped with projects, and handling endless strategic and operational challenges, and yet is not burning out in the process. Most people in situations of this nature would collapse under the strain of it all, and yet these individuals are doing just fine.

Initially, I thought they must have a very high threshold for chaos. Some would even say they thrive on it. But I don’t think this is the case anymore because having done this work for decades and having worked with these individuals over time and through multiple troughs of chaos plus a few Grand Canyons of chaos, I have discovered a small but important insight.

These unique leaders are curious. Every day they are interested in seeing what happens next. They come to work with an open mind and are very excited to see how the day will unfold.

And along with their curiosity, there is an immense desire to keep learning. At the end of a day of meetings and consultations, these unique leaders want to go out for dinner and debrief the day. It is common for them to share with me about the “lessons learned” from the day and how they will apply them in the morning. It is their curiosity in combination with this inner drive to keep learning that gives them the capacity to handle the pressures, the burdens and the many expectations of the senior position.

One other interesting fact about these leaders is that their curiosity and desire to keep learning is not limited to work. After the debriefing about the day, it is common for them to share with me about a home project that they are immersed in which gives them great joy. I have listened to people share about family genealogy, a new project in their wood working shop, or the rebuilding of an engine on an antique car. These hobbies and projects in combination with this special mindset allows them to stay balanced and focused in the midst of it all.

This week, ask yourself, what am I curious about these days? Where am I learning the most at work and at home? Then, give yourself permission to explore these new ideas, new perspectives and new projects. It is time for us to have interesting things in our life that feed us fresh insights, energy and perspectives. It will keep us young in mind, body and spirit in spite of all the challenges in the big world.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Talk Less; Question More.

Each week, I do a great deal of reading. I am constantly scanning for new ideas, insights or perspectives. Sometimes, all I discover is repackaged material from the 80’s or 90’s. Other days, I discover something that is good food for thought.

Recently in the March-April 2017 issue of the Harvard Business Review, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the article called “Bursting The CEO Bubble: Why Executives Should Talk Less And Ask More Questions” by Hal Gregersen, the executive director of the MIT Leadership Center and a senior lecturer in leadership and innovation at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

As he writes, “Although CEOs are charged with recognizing when their firms need a major change in direction, their power and privilege often insulate them from information that would help them perceive looming opportunities or threats. No one wants to tell the CEO of problems much less that he or she is mistaken.”

Based on interviews of 200 executives, Gregerson found that senior executives acknowledge this problem and yet are unsure of how to solve it.  Still, the author found a few executives who had developed creative solutions to living in the “good-news cocoon.”

Some of these solutions ranged from seeking out honest feedback from a diversity of constituents to participating in situations “off the beaten path” where they are “unusually uncomfortable.” This then requires them to ask better questions and discover new insights which ultimately may help them to “detect early weak signals of impending market shifts.”

For me, there was one section in the article that was very interesting, namely the author’s suggestion that CEOs and, from my advantage point, all senior executives need to learn to be quiet. As he writes, “This is not typical behavior for CEOs, who are generally expected to be in broadcast mode, delivering words of inspiration, explanation, and unambiguous direction. A.G. Lafley, two-time chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble, likes to say that his job is to keep repeating for people what the mission is and to keep it “Sesame Street simple. That is the default setting for CEOs for sound reasons.” This reminds me of a Fast Company magazine interview of Ron Heifetz back in the 90’s where he said that “leaders often die with their mouths wide open.”

Gregersen argues that leaders have to switch from transmitting messages to receiving them. As he continues, “No surprise, then, that each week Lafley asks himself, “What am I going to be curious about?” as a reminder that strategic insight demands deep listening born of equally deep curiosity.”

Being quiet does not equal being checked out. Being quiet means being focused enough to receive new insights and perspectives from a diversity of people. This will not only take leaders outside their comfort zone but also outside the “isolating bubble fueled by position and power.”  When we are quiet and when this quiet is based on the desire to seek new insights and perspectives, then it is a most productive opportunity.

So, this week, I encourage you to read this good, new article and to start asking yourself the fabulous question “What am I going to be curious about?” Being quiet and curious can open you up to whole, new worlds of opportunity.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257