The Most Underrated Leadership Skill: Curiosity
The best leaders aren’t the ones with all the answers. They’re the ones with better questions.
When was the last time you asked a genuine question — not one to check a box, not one to
confirm your own assumptions, but one that made you uncomfortable?
If you can’t remember, you may not be leading. You may just be managing.
Too many leaders believe their value comes from having answers. They climb the ladder by
being decisive, confident, and knowledgeable. And at some point, they begin to believe the
myth: leaders must always know what to do.
But the truth is, the moment you stop asking questions, you stop growing.
And when you stop growing, so does your team.
It’s not the lack of answers that kills leadership, it’s the lack of curiosity.
Think about it:
If your competitors are asking, “What else is possible?” while you’re busy saying, “This
is how we’ve always done it,” who wins?
If your employees are craving to be heard and you’re too busy barking orders, what does
that do to trust, engagement, retention?
If you keep solving today’s problems with yesterday’s playbook, how long before your
best people walk out the door?
Curiosity isn’t “nice to have.” It’s the difference between leaders who keep up — and leaders
who are left behind.
Curiosity takes courage. Because asking questions exposes you. It admits you don’t know
everything. It means you might hear an answer you don’t like.
But here’s the irony: the leaders who are willing to ask the hardest questions are the ones their
teams trust the most.
Not because they’re perfect. But because they’re real.
If you take nothing else from this post, take this:
“What don’t I know right now that my team does?”
If you’re not asking that question, you’re already missing opportunities, and probably losing
credibility.
The best leaders aren’t remembered for their answers. They’re remembered for the doors they
opened, the voices they elevated, the possibilities they explored.
Curiosity is not weakness — it’s leadership at its strongest.
I’ll leave you with this: When was the last time your curiosity made you uncomfortable?
If you can’t remember, it’s time to start.
Ready to shift from “having answers” to leading with impact? Let’s talk. Visit
coreydunlap.net to begin your leadership transformation today.
