Think Leaders Need All the Answers? Think Again.

Are your leaders determined to always be right? Here’s why they should be curious instead. We explore why curiosity and adaptability is such an important leadership trait—and how to develop it.

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Curiosity AND ADAPTABILITY definition Benefits of curiosity in leadership How to become more curious

As executives climb the corporate ladder, they accumulate years of experience, sharpen their pattern recognition skills, and develop finely tuned business instincts. This wealth of knowledge and experience can position them as go-to problem solvers who always know what to do. But knowledge and experience can also trap a leader into thinking they have all the answers. In the worst cases, it can be the cause of leadership downfalls.

When leaders think they have all the answers, they significantly slow their learning curve. They become complacent, and they begin to over-index on their past experiences. They fall back on how they’ve always done things, instead of embracing new insights. This stagnation in personal growth poses significant risks in today’s rapidly evolving landscape, where adaptability, agility, and constant evolution are critical to success.

Today, the most successful leaders understand the need to foster a mindset of continuous learning. Their ability to stay curious, to question, and to open themselves to fresh ideas and relationships is not just an advantage—it’s a necessity.

What does curiosity and adaptability mean in the leadership context?

	Shows flexibility and comfort with ambiguity and change.			Pursues original, creative, and experimental ideas.
	Adjusts behavior to suit different situations.			Unrestricted by rules and prepared to take risks.
	Models lifelong learning and embraces data-driven decision-making.			Remains calm and decisive during important events.

Curiosity is a wonderful trait and one that you see more in confident leaders who are not challenged by a personal insecurity about needing to be the smartest person in the room—all of the time.

Ty Wiggins
Leadership advisor, Russell Reynolds Associates
_{Author of The New CEO, Russell Reynolds Associates, 2024}

Why is curiosity and adaptability such an important leadership skill?

Truly curious leaders are less prone to hubris and ego. They are willing to be challenged and are comfortable being proven wrong. This not only makes them more open to the information available, it also makes people more willing to tell them what they’re really thinking, feeling, or seeing, without fear of reprisal.

But curiosity needs to be harnessed strategically to avoid organizational chaos. Unbridled curiosity can lead to a constant chasing of “shiny objects” or the next big trend, derailing focus, and depleting resources. The most effective leaders structure their curiosity into targeted exploration and calculated risk-taking, rather than a state of perpetual upheaval and change fatigue.

When leaders are able to cultivate a culture of exploration and learning, they typically unlock the following benefits.

01	Better problem solving. Curious leaders approach problems with an open mind. Instead of rushing to apply familiar solutions, they dig deeper into root causes and bring unconventional ideas to old problems. They ask probing questions, explore multiple angles, and connect seemingly unrelated ideas. They are comfortable with ambiguity and exploring unfamiliar terrain. And they encourage others to share their thoughts. By including collaborators at all levels, they broaden their problem-solving toolkit and foster an environment where creative or unconventional solutions can flourish.

02	Better decisions. Curious leaders are less likely to fall into the trap of confirmation bias or make decisions based on outdated information. Instead, they actively seek out information that challenges their assumptions. This constant quest for knowledge ensures they consider a wide range of data and perspectives before making decisions. It also means they are able to consider wider implications and potential ripple effects, which results in more informed, balanced, and far-sighted decisions.

03	More successful transformations. Curious leaders’ desire to learn and understand new concepts makes them more receptive to change. They are able to confidently pivot strategies, embrace new technologies, and lead their teams through periods of transformation with confidence and enthusiasm. They avoid the trap of driving change for change's sake, and instead ensure transformation efforts are grounded in the company’s core strategy and long-term goals.

04	Stronger relationships. Curiosity fosters genuine interest in others, leading to deeper, more meaningful relationships. Curious leaders ask thoughtful questions, listen attentively, and seek to understand different perspectives. This approach not only builds trust and respect but also creates a more inclusive environment where diverse ideas are valued. Curious leaders are also excellent collaborators. They are willing to bring the right people into the room to solve thorny problems—including other functions, other industries, or even competitors.

05	Continuous growth. Curiosity is a key driver of personal development. Curious leaders are most likely to push out of their comfort zone, stay loose in the knees, and remain flexible. Their commitment to lifelong learning keeps their skills sharp and their knowledge current, and ensures their leadership style is always evolving. As a result, they remain relevant and effective, even as the demands of their role change over time.

Curiosity in leaders often shows up as a natural expansiveness in their thinking. They’ve tapped unlikely data sources in their search for solutions, often wandering far off the path of their immediate context or challenge. They light up when their assumptions are challenged, or a new idea comes into frame that they’ve never considered. The tendency is to explore that new angle, sit with it, and consider how it might shape their thinking going forward.

Dana Landis
Leadership advisor, Russell Reynolds Associates

How can leaders become more curious?

Of course, some people are better at leading with curiosity than others. But executives always have the chance to refine some or all of their leadership style. Being curious is like being a better listener; it can be hugely improved with attention, focus, self-awareness, and self-regulation.

	Start with self. The best leaders are voracious consumers of data and are constantly finding ways to create space in their schedules to stay curious outside the 'day to day' of their roles. They convert their self-awareness into 'self-knowledge'—the ability to adjust their behaviors and their rituals to take into account when they are in positive or negative situations. They know what triggers their stress and energy depletion and have mechanisms for recovery (both physical and mental) that they apply consistently.

	Strong networks. Leaders need broad and rich networks—inside and outside of their organizations, and at multiple levels. The best leaders are very connected, hearing 360-degree inputs from employees levels down, their peers, and a wide range of external sources. These insights are not only critical to ongoing self-awareness and development—they also help leaders to filter each new instinct through a trusted set of colleagues and team members who will challenge and even redirect to get the optimal outcome.

	Intentional inclusion. Great leaders assertively pull perspectives from everywhere into their decision-making processes. No matter how expansive or fast thinking a leader may be, their pattern recognition will be improved if they actively get other brains on the challenge and resist the temptation to go it alone. Every leader needs a 'kitchen cabinet' to help them hear the truth and make the right decisions. Nothing is truer than the adage that senior leaders don't hear the unvarnished truth enough—so great leaders seek it out.

	The power of stories. As leaders own their development journeys and prioritize moments of reflection, stories can be an especially effective way of demonstrating authenticity and vulnerability. Some leaders are natural storytellers, but they need to make sure their stories don’t sound too slick or superficial. Other leaders struggle with opening up and sharing—requiring structure, practice, and feedback to hone a few stories that can make an impact.

Curiosity and adaptability in action

An excerpt from The New CEO, a book by Ty Wiggins

Ramon Laguarta

Ramon Laguarta
CEO PepsiCo

PepsiCo’s Ramon Laguarta focuses on making sure he creates a space for others to tell him what they really think. “It’s one of the most important things you can do as CEO and something I focus on every day.”

He adopted this mindset even before becoming CEO, as he progressed during the selection process, and had time to reflect on the things that he wanted to do when he took to the helm.

“I thought the company had become too focused on margins, so I wanted us to pivot to growth,” he said. “Secondly, I wanted to drive a big cultural shift to make the company more entrepreneurial and more transparent. And finally, I wanted to accelerate our digitalization and environmental transformation efforts.”

Recognizing that this was only his view, he was keen to test his ideas. So … he ran day-long sessions with people from across the company—the leadership team and below it—where he asked for their thoughts, opinions, and co-creation on these areas. For Ramon, it was a way to not only get their feedback and input but put a stake in the ground that the new culture of the company would be more bottom-up, and less top-down. “I had my vision for the company and I decided to empower this group to co-create the new strategy with me,” he said. “I must tell you I was quite surprised by how positively the process went and how it helped me.”

Source: The New CEO, Russell Reynolds Associates, 2024