Regaining Your Childlike Curiosity

The average 5-year-old asks 200 questions a day. How many do you ask?

If you have children, you’ve likely been worn down with their seemingly endless barrage of questions…

• What’s the name of that?
• What’s that called?
• Why did you do that?
• Why do I have to eat that?
• Why?
• Why?
• Why?
• Why don’t the Cubs ever win championships? (Oh wait, they finally did)

Once our parental patience expires, those questions can be enough to drive a mom or dad to to plead: Would you stop asking so many questions!?!

It might lead you to wonder: Do you believe that your parents displayed any more patience than you do?

Why Do I Bring This Up?

Thanks for asking!  This is the part where I blame your mother for contributing to crushing your childlike curiosity.  And blame you for doing the same to your children. Is is possible that your own curious nature was suppressed during your wonder years?

When we chide our children for their inquisitiveness, it can have a life long effect.  Many of us grow up with too many unasked questions as we’ve learned to leave our curiosity unsatisfied.

Looking Forward and Getting It Back

We can’t change the past. But, we can improve our future by understanding that now that you’re a grown up, it’s more than OK to be curious.  In fact, skilled inquiry is a talent in very short supply while very much in demand.  It is an essential skill not only for learning, but for leading others.  In the words of Peter Drucker…

“The leader of the past knew how to tell, the leader of the future will know how to ask.”

Discover The Golden Response

When was the last time that you heard the following response to something you asked?

“Wow, that’s a great question!”

No matter how long it’s been, can you admit that you don’t hear The Golden Response enough?  The frequency of that response indicates your thought leadership skill level.

When you receive this ultimate questioner’s compliment, remember to say “thank you”.

Why Does It Glitter?

What’s really happened when you receive The Golden Response?

• You’ve forced your listener to think deeper.
• Your question has led your listener to view things differently.
• Their deeper thought is likely to generate a new attitude toward the subject.
• The likelihood for taking action is significantly increased.

Remember: the average 5-year-old asks 200 questions a day. Regaining your curiosity will require asking more questions.

Pursuit of The Golden Response

Earning The Golden Response requires more than increasing question quantity.  You must address the quality of both your attitude and your questions.

As you work to develop your ability to lead, your goal is to transfer the ownership of your idea to your followers.

• Start by regaining the genuinely curious mindset of a five-year-old.
• Determine the new idea you seek to transfer.
• Work on ways to ask instead of tell.
• Engineer your questions to enable others to discover the idea for themselves.  Ask yourself: What does the other person need to discover?   Then: How can I guide them to the ah-ha moment they need?

For Parents

For you parents of young children: Try to exercise patience of a Cubs fan when confronted with your children’s’ endless curiosity.  You will make a strong contribution to developing our future leaders.

Articles and Acknowledgements

• Why Should You Be Asking More and Telling Less?
• Cutting Edge Leadership Imported From Ancient Greece: Drucker and Socrates find Common Ground
• 7 Secrets of Highly Effective Leadership Communication
• Photo credit stays in-house.  That five-year old Cub fan is Kevin Lemanski in 1986.  30 years later, he witnessed the Cubs in Game 7 in Cleveland.
• My updated, post championship thoughts on the Cubs.