"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."                                     
                                                                                                     - Walt Disney

During challenging times we are often tempted to stop questioning, to just put our head down and get things done. The opposite is what keeps us on track - activating our curiosity, our best questioning, our insatiable appetite for understanding why, how, and what our opportunities might be. How are you keeping your curiosity alive? What are some questions you can ask about what is possible?

I've coached with many smart, accomplished leaders. They're where they are today because they know the answers, they've taken the risks, and they're able to persuade others to follow their vision. And they're so tired and upset by the fact that no one else lives up to their (own) high standards.   

So, what's the answer? Find more energy, lower your standards? I don't believe so. I think the key is to embrace curiosity and ask simple questions. When I explain that curiosity breeds excitement, which in turn leads to ideas and innovation and, more importantly, empowerment, heads nod -- give me some of that! How? It's simple: ask questions. The only rule is that each question has to contain the word you or your.

And so, leaders who previously didn't ask questions do so and their people react. As a leader letting go of being the expert, the one with the opinion, the way forward, all the answers, suddenly asking questions can freak people out -- and that's an opportunity for a leader to understand what kind of leader they are from their teams' perspectives.

For example, when one leader made the commitment to embrace curiosity and ask questions rather than provide answers he described the reaction he noticed from each individual team member: relief.  What did he learn about himself? He had previously provided all the answers; according to his team his leadership style was "my way or the highway." His team members stopped expending energy trying to bring their solutions into the conversation and waited for the answers to come to them.  When they were suddenly asked, "What do you think? What would you like to do? What's your perspective?" they showed great relief -- maybe things could change after all. What was their leader's reaction? In his words, "I felt great relief from my team and a positiveness within me."

Embracing curiosity -- it's simple, all you need are questions and an authentic curiosity around what someone else's answer (perspective) may be. And, if you want to learn more about your leadership style, pay close attention to how your team reacts when you ask questions. What do you think?