The Power of Curiosity

Have you seen NPR’s brilliant new marketing campaign? It “defend[s] the right to be curious.”

I’m absolutely smitten.  

As NPR’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mishka Pitter-Armand, put it, "Curiosity is the fuel of a functioning democracy."  It’s also essential for thriving, creative nonprofits.

Get Curious About Curiosity

Curiosity can be intrinsic or externally motivated. It can focus on intellectual topics or interpersonal issues.   

Regardless of its particularities, the benefits are clear. Curiosity:

• Fosters empathy and trust.

• Inspires innovation and creative problem-solving.

• Builds stronger, more engaged, and collaborative teams.

• Helps workplaces stay flexible, adaptable, and productive.

• Creates deeper fulfillment and purpose.

In nonprofit workspaces, curiosity is foundational to meeting the community’s needs and building a kinder world. For example, DEIAB efforts will not be successful unless they’re motivated by curiosity about differences. Programs will not evolve unless staff are willing to ask bold questions about what is working and what is not working. Fundraising efforts will not resonate with donors and prospects unless we get curious about their motivations and the impact they want to have on the world.

Photo by Chase Clark on Unsplash

Learn to Cultivate Curiosity

Children’s curiosity is innate, but it’s often squashed by middle school. Demonstrating curiosity is a risk because it requires humility to admit we don’t have all the answers.  

The good news is that curiosity can be cultivated. Our environment can either foster or stifle curiosity. There are evidence-based ways of encouraging inquisitiveness and innovation: 

• Model the behavior by asking bold questions—especially when you don’t have the answers. Leaders who openly wonder, admit uncertainty, and ask “why?” and “what if?” give everyone else permission to do the same.

• Create psychological safety—where everyone on the team knows that it’s safe to take risks, to try something new, to brainstorm ideas, and not to achieve the desired results.

• Use Appreciative Inquiry to reframe problems as opportunities. This strength-based approach focuses attention on what’s working and how to build on it, which can boost engagement, innovation, and the sense of shared possibility. Curiosity thrives in optimistic environments but is suppressed by negativity.

• Encourage diverse perspectives. In my son’s Speech, Drama, and Debate class, he has to practice arguing both sides of a debate. Invite your team to do similar activities. This practice makes it easier to consider new perspectives.

What could we discover if curiosity led our meetings, projects, and partnerships? Let’s make curiosity part of how we work, not just what we value.