Thirty years ago, conventional wisdom had it that someone’s IQ was a reasonable predictor of their problem-solving skills and success. Then we realized that a high IQ did not correlate with an ability to manage people or build teams, so the EQ emerged to measure emotional intelligence. Now a new, albeit unofficial, metric–the Curiosity Quotient (CQ)–has burst onto the scene.
Originally coined by author Thomas Friedman, CQ emphasizes someone’s inquisitiveness–their hunger for new experiences. People with a high CQ tend to thrive on novelty, shun routine and generate many new ideas quickly. Unlike IQ, which ostensibly measures a person’s raw intellectual power, CQ revolves around interest in knowledge acquisition over time. Someone with a high IQ and low CQ might, for example, be great at solving a problem when presented with one. But they would not take the initiative in acquiring new knowledge or delving into a new experience.
Whether or not you accept the CQ as a metric (and, truth be told, there is no vetted test that is accepted as a measure), the fact is that curiosity and a hunger for knowledge are essential in today’s business world. Systems and tools are changing at a rapid rate. In the pre-Internet age, it was often enough to train well in a field, to get a job in that field and climb through the ranks, and, perhaps with annual or bi-annual trainings, to stay up to date with new developments. That’s no longer the case because now, knowledge and capacity evolve on an almost daily basis. The world has become much more complex. Highly developed curiosity associates with a much higher tolerance for complexity and ambiguity.
We live in a world where curiosity–the desire to explore the unknown and gain new knowledge–rules. But we’re not all highly curious. Fortunately, there are several easy ways to build CQ, both in ourselves and our teams.
- Cultivate a sense of wonder: We are all born curious. If you’ve ever seen a baby or toddler exploring a new environment, you’ve seen this in action. As we grow older, this sense of curiosity is sometimes repressed by an education system overly focused on testing and outcomes. Next time you enter a new situation, try doing it with a clear mind. Don’t assume that you know how everything works. Give yourself the chance to rediscover part of the world.
- Ask questions: Set aside a few minutes to consciously become curious. Jot down questions. It can be anything to start with–How does the copier work? Where exactly is my data stored when it goes to “the cloud”? The questions are not necessarily about finding all the answers, but about revealing and questioning assumptions and opening up new lines of inquiry. What is a new perspective? Or something that no one else has thought of yet? In conversations, notice if you’re speaking more than listening. If so, take a moment before the conversation to think of a few questions. Often, the greatest insights are in the people around us, just waiting to be unlocked.
- Try something new: It doesn’t have to be something big, maybe just listening to a new kind of music or tasting a new food. New experiences keep the mind active and flexible. Taking yourself out of the comfort zone of the “known” forges new neural pathways and gets the mind used to expanding.
As a leader, when you build your own sense of curiosity, it will inspire those around you to do the same. When you really listen and inquire, you’ll inspire your team to be more flexible in their thinking. And the more flexible and adaptable your team becomes, the greater the innovation of the solutions they will develop. How can you use curiosity to lead, manage and discover? Try it out!