The secret power of curiosity for building high-performing teams and organizations.

Cultivating curiosity may be one of the most underutilized yet powerful drivers of success in today’s workplace. It’s not a “soft skill” or a “nice to have.” It’s a strategic advantage. When teams embrace curiosity, they unlock new ways to solve problems, streamline processes, and ignite innovation.

Curiosity comes naturally to children as they explore the world with wonder and openness. Yet, as we grow, that instinct often gets stifled by rules, norms, and workplace expectations. Over time, curiosity fades, and organizations slip into the comfort of the status quo—doing what’s familiar instead of what’s possible. Curiosity is the spark that fuels improvement, innovation, and collaboration. In fact:

When leaders intentionally cultivate curiosity, it can transform everything from daily operations to team relationships to the development of new products and services. It also boosts employee engagement, strengthens teamwork, and inspires people to think beyond boundaries. In short, curiosity doesn’t just make work better, it helps workplaces thrive.

Roadblocks and Solutions to Curiosity

1. Time and Pressure

In today’s busy business landscape, time and resources can create stress. In many organizations, curiosity can feel like a luxury. When teams are under pressure to meet deadlines, hit targets, and manage heavy workloads, taking time to explore new ideas often slips to the bottom of the list. Leaders may worry that being curious will slow them down or that it will not be seen as productive. As a result, innovation stalls, and the workplace becomes more about efficiency than learning.

Solution: Build Curiosity Into Everyday Workflows

Curiosity does not have to require extra time or budget, it can be woven into existing routines. Leaders can encourage short curiosity moments during team meetings, such as a quick question round: “What is one thing we learned this week that surprised us?” or a five-minute “what if” brainstorm at the end of a project update.

As Francesca Gino put it in her 2018 article The Business Case for Curiosity:

Managers can invite curiosity through reflection by asking teams to identify one assumption they challenged this week or one process they would improve if given the chance. These small practices turn curiosity into a habit rather than a task, proving that even in fast-paced environments, exploration can thrive without slowing productivity.

2. Fear of Failure or Judgment

Half of employees in large corporations are afraid to speak up to share their ideas or bring up problems (HBR). The pressure to perform in an organization is intimidating. Most workplaces operate within hierarchical structures, making it difficult for employees to know if speaking up or challenging ideas is acceptable. This becomes even harder if someone has spoken up and been criticized by a leader or team member. Fear of being judged can be debilitating. Leaders must encourage and promote healthy conversations around important topics, even when opinions differ.

Solution: Build Trust Through Promoting Honest Feedback and Communication

Leaders shape how curiosity is received by responding openly to questions and modeling vulnerability, such as admitting when they don’t have all the answers or sharing lessons from mistakes. Encouraging curiosity can be reinforced through simple practices, like no-wrong-question brainstorming sessions, highlighting learning from failures, or starting meetings with a “Curiosity Round” to share insights and ideas.

When curiosity is welcomed rather than critiqued, it becomes a collective strength, fostering authentic dialogue, creativity, and stronger team connection over time.

3. Leadership Rigidity

Leadership is challenging. Managing multiple stakeholders while ensuring business outcomes are favorable can leave leaders stuck in routines. Curiosity struggles to thrive in environments where compliance is expected over creativity. When leaders cling to established methods or discourage questioning, employees learn that exploration is not valued. This rigidity is often rooted in a desire to maintain control, protect the status quo, or avoid uncertainty, which can create a stagnant culture where innovation and engagement fade.

Solution: Shift From Control to Curiosity

Leaders can model curiosity by replacing rigidity with openness. Instead of feeling pressured to have all the answers, they can ask thoughtful questions that invite different perspectives, such as, “What might we be missing?” or “How else could this work?”

Practical ways to build this mindset include:

• Inviting cross-functional input during decision-making

• Encouraging pilot projects where and when possible before dismissing new ideas

• Setting the expectation that every voice has value in problem-solving

When leaders demonstrate that curiosity and flexibility are strengths—not signs of weakness—they give their teams permission to explore, innovate, and take ownership of continuous improvement.

Key Takeaways on Building a Culture of Curiosity

1. Build Curiosity Into Everyday Workflows

It goes without saying that employees look to leaders for guidance and direction. They typically follow how leaders approach their department or job. That is why role modeling is the first step in cultivating curiosity.

When a leader takes a moment to stop and ask questions, brainstorm new ideas, and encourage team members to do the same, they are setting a positive precedent. Role modeling engages curiosity in a meaningful and purposeful way, signaling to employees that it is okay (and expected) to participate in discussions and problem-solving.

2. Build Trust by Promoting Honest Feedback and Communication

Leaders foster curiosity by responding openly, modeling vulnerability, and creating practices like brainstorming or “Curiosity Rounds.” When curiosity is welcomed, it becomes a collective strength that enhances dialogue, creativity, and team connection.

Simple prompts might include:

• “For the next ten minutes, I would like to hear everyone’s ideas on how to implement this new change and what the direct impacts will be on your job or team.”

• “I would like everyone to share how we could improve this process in the future.”

• “What is one thing that would improve your job performance?”

Creating space for curiosity does not mean everyone gets their way, but it does send the message that everyone’s ideas are welcomed and encouraged. This can improve employee engagement, satisfaction, and overall team performance.

3. Shift From Control to Curiosity

Leaders model curiosity by embracing openness, asking thoughtful questions, and valuing diverse perspectives. By encouraging cross-functional input, piloting new ideas, and emphasizing that every voice matters, they create a culture where curiosity, innovation, and continuous improvement are seen as strengths.

Recognizing curiosity-driven behavior means celebrating moments when someone explores a “what if,” challenges an assumption, or asks a question that deepens team understanding. Leaders can highlight a team member in a meeting who posed a thought-provoking question or acknowledge someone who used curiosity to solve a problem.

These small but consistent acknowledgments send a powerful message: curiosity is not only welcome, it is valued.