Leadership Superpower: Compassionate Curiosity

Much like the superheroes of comic books and movies, great leaders have more than one superpower. After all, while flying served him well, Superman also needed traits like x-ray vision and exceptional strength to save the world.

In a previous post, I’d written about the leadership superpower of empathy—the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Here’s another that’s a critical addition to the leader’s superpower toolkit: compassionate curiosity.

This leadership superpower involves approaching situations with empathy, kindness, and an open mind. This also entails possessing a genuine desire to understand others' perspectives and experiences. Compassionate curiosity has been proven to help leaders:

• Build strong relationships with their teams.
• Foster collaboration and innovation.
• Make better decisions based on a more comprehensive understanding of their organization.

A  study by Harvard Business Review found that leaders who demonstrated compassion were rated by their employees as better performers. The report also indicated that compassionate leaders had teams with higher levels of engagement and productivity. Another Harvard Business Review study found that leaders who asked questions and listened to their team members had higher-performing teams than those who did not.

As a leader, it's easy to get caught up in day-to-day challenges and lose sight of the big picture. However, sometimes it's the small moments that can have the biggest impact.

I was reminded of this when I bumped into my former client on the subway last week. Back when I was working with him, Lucas was a Business Owner at a large software company. He had widespread influence over the Agile Release Train (ART), which was large, numbering around 150 people.

Lucas' management team let him down by not providing clear and specific guidance on the portfolio's strategic themes and vision. While they had provided a general idea, the lack of details and specificity left room for interpretation and confusion. This made it difficult for Lucas to align his ART’s efforts with the organization's goals and deliver products that met customers' needs. Ultimately, the management team's failure to provide clear direction contributed to Lucas' struggles and diminished the overall success of the portfolio.

Lucas approached me for advice on how to contend with his portfolio's lack of clarity regarding long-term objectives. I could have quickly provided him with a proposed solution, but I realized that taking a different approach would be more effective. I arranged time with Lucas and asked him to share his thoughts and insights on what could be done to move forward.

I made a conscious effort to actively listen to him and asked open-ended questions that allowed him to express his ideas. I provided him with the space to think creatively and come up with his own solutions. This approach was more empowering for Lucas. He was able to develop a new strategy that he was excited to try—and it was his, not mine.

By listening and asking open-ended questions, I was able to encourage Lucas to think creatively, rather than simply following a prescriptive plan. This not only helped him regain his confidence and motivation, but it also strengthened our working relationship and enabled him to build a more engaged and productive ART. 

It took patience and time, but Lucas eventually established a new OKR operating model that he was highly motivated to institute. (For those new to the concept, OKR stands for “objectives and key results.”) Over the next few months, I watched as Lucas and the teams implemented OKRs with enthusiasm and dedication. The work that had once seemed impossible was now moving forward, and Lucas had regained confidence and motivation.

This experience was all about compassionate curiosity. By taking the time to coach and ask questions, rather than teach, I was able to empower Lucas to come up with his own solutions and feel supported in his work. And in applying these principles, he built a more engaged and productive team.

So, how can leaders cultivate compassionate curiosity? Here are three tips:

1. Ask Powerful Questions

Ask open-ended questions that encourage deep thinking and reflection. For example, instead of asking a team member "How is your work going?", try asking questions like these:

1. What outcomes are you seeking to achieve right now?
2. What are the biggest challenges you're facing with your work, and how can I help you overcome them?
3. What opportunities do you see for improvement in our current processes, and how do you think we can capitalize on them?
4. What do you think we can do differently to improve our team's performance and achieve our goals?

2. Demonstrate Active Listening

Leaders who take the time to truly listen to their team members, and who approach conversations with an open mind and a desire to learn, will gain valuable insights. They’ll come away with a better understanding of their organization's strengths and weaknesses. In addition, these leaders will uncover new opportunities for growth and improvement.

3. Show Empathy and Kindness

Compassionate curiosity isn't just about asking questions—it's also about showing empathy and kindness in your interactions with others. This can be as simple as acknowledging someone's hard work or taking the time to thank them for their contributions. By showing your team members that you value and appreciate them, you can build a stronger, more collaborative team that is motivated to achieve its goals.

Conclusion

The next time you're faced with a leadership challenge, consider approaching it with compassionate curiosity. By listening actively, asking powerful questions, and showing empathy and kindness, you can cultivate a strong, engaged team that is poised for success.