How can leaders foster a culture of curiosity within their organizations?

This episode explores the power of curiosity in leadership and how it can be used to drive innovation, growth, and change within organizations. Jon Bassford shares real-world examples and practical strategies for cultivating curiosity in yourself and your team. By fostering a culture of curiosity, leaders can create an environment where employees feel psychologically safe to share their ideas and feedback, leading to improved operational excellence and better business outcomes.

Jon Bassford, CEO of Lateral Solutions, helps leaders level up their operations and achieve their goals. He's also the author of the upcoming book "The Curious Leader," a guide to cultivating curiosity for business growth and personal development.

Key topics that Bill and Jon explore in this episode:

- Curiosity in leadership and how it can drive innovation, growth, and change.

- The biggest hurdles to creating curiosity are egos, fear, comfort, and habits.

- The need for leaders to balance their own expertise with the need to be open to new ideas and perspectives.

- The need for leaders to be self-aware and to delegate tasks that are outside their zone of genius.

- Building a team with diverse skills and personalities, not just “A” players.

- The need for leaders to actively cultivate curiosity in themselves and their team members.

- Checking your ego and being open to new ideas and perspectives.

- The need for organizations to continuously analyze and improve their operations.

- Being willing to adapt in order to stay ahead of the curve.

Chapters in this episode:

(02:53) The Importance of Curiosity

(07:36) The Power of Clear Communication

(11:19) The Importance of Strategic Planning

(15:28) Creating a Culture of Innovation

(21:28) The Importance of Being Open to New Ideas

(27:14) Developing and Increasing Curiosity

(33:57) Operational Excellence

Thanks to Jon Bassford for being on the show!

Learn more about Jon: https://jonbassford.com/

In early 2025, be sure to get Jon’s book: The Curious Leader: Navigating the Power of Asking Questions and Fostering a Culture of Inquiry.

Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the Scaling Up Business podcast, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth.

Join Bill in the Growth Navigator Coaching Program: https://ScalingCoach.com/workshop

Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/BillGall

Bill on YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/@BillGallagherScalingCoach

Visit https://ScalingUp.com to learn more about Verne Harnish, our team of Scaling Up Coaches, and the Scaling Up Performance Platform, which includes coaching, learning, software, and summit. We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around people, strategy, execution, and cash so that they can scale up successfully and beat the odds of business growth.

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Curiosity-Driven Leadership with Jon Bassford

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