“I have no special talents; I am just passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein

I recently read the book Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson and marveled at all of the various interests that the renowned Renaissance artist cultivated during his lifetime. Of course, we know him mostly for his relatively few, but incredibly famous finished works of art. But he was also an avid student of such subjects as architecture, engineering, design, anatomy, fossils, military weaponry, botany, geology and many other subjects. He truly embodied the term universal man. In the concluding chapter of the book, Isaacson offers a list of things that he learned from studying Leonardo. A sampling includes retaining a childlike sense of wonder; seeing things unseen; collaboration; and indulging fantasy. All of these concepts have some connection to the workings of a mind opened wide by a driving sense of curiosity.

Likewise, my grandson (who is now seven) has from the beginning indulged his own childlike sense of wonder. I know this is not unique to him, but I have always enjoyed seeing where his curiosity takes him. When he was four, my wife and I took him to a local university and walked the grounds. He insisted that we read to him the plaques in front of the various trees on the campus telling what species they were and where they originated. He called these plaques “clues” which is exactly what they were to a young mind seeking answers to many mysteries. As he has grown, he has explained to us many things that he has learned, such as why the sky appears blue to humans, what the general principles of photosynthesis are, and what environment surrounds Jupiter. His curiosity seems boundless.

A common definition of curiosity states that it is a “desire to learn and understand more about the world and other people … and that it propels the pursuit of information, experiences, and actions for their own sake.”

A recent study by McKinsey in which 200 of the top CEOs in the Fortune 500 were interviewed and their leadership styles studied revealed that these high-performing leaders shared one familiar trait. These CEOs displayed what was termed a pervasive curiosity and learning mindset. These leaders encourage and cultivate curiosity in their people through the time that is allowed for exploration, the treatment of failure, and the openness to new ways of doing things.

A 2024 paper that aggregates the conclusions of several previous studies claims that curious individuals “outperform in various life domains, including education, work, and social relationships.” It is clear that individuals who possess this trait excel not only in their professional lives, but also in other aspects of their lives.

Here are just a few thoughts on how to cultivate greater curiosity in yourself and others:

Break the Algorithm Dam: People have always tended to gravitate towards the things we are familiar with or that we know more about. However, in the age of social media and curated information from algorithms, our data inflows have become increasingly homogeneous. These algorithms function like a dam, keeping vast amounts of information cordoned off. The funnel through which information flows grows smaller and smaller. To reverse this trend, work on breaking away from what is pushed at you and seek information from sources outside of your comfort zone. To gain new insights in your business, seek to read, watch, or listen to experts or successful leaders from industries outside of your own. Talk to friends, mentors, and work colleagues to seek to discover new insights. There are numerous opportunities from books, articles, podcasts, etc. that are outside of your industry that yield learnings and principles that are transferable but too often we do not expose ourselves to them.

Create Discomfort: This can be called “burning the boats.” Sometimes being forced to look at a problem or situation in terms of “there is no going back to the old way” will open new possibilities that would otherwise not be tried.

Embrace Failure as an Opportunity to Discover: Imagine all of the things Thomas Edison would never have discovered if he had been afraid to fail. Too often in the corporate world failure is treated as a black mark on a person’s record; something in the debit column of performance. Leaders should have a certain tolerance level for failure so that taking measured risks is encouraged not discouraged. During a SpaceX Q&A session, Elon Musk famously stated “failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”

Ask Big Questions: Instead of focusing on putting out fires or tactical fixes, ask bigger questions of your people so that new concepts can be explored that lead to greater value production. Asking penetrating questions is one of the most common traits for successful leaders. Deep questions foster deep thinking and solutions with greater reach.

Collaborate More: Collaboration with others opens up many more avenues of experience and critical thinking. Curiosity about what others know and think can spur good leaders and teams to do great things.

Back to the conclusion of the book on Leonardo da Vinci, Isaacson’s main message after studying the great artist’s life was that we should be curious, relentlessly curious. Great advice.

References:

Walter Isaacson, Leonardo da Vinci, (Simon & Schuster, New York, 2017), 519-523.

Kaczmarek, Kashdan, and Enko, “How Curiosity Enhances Performance: Mechanisms of Physiological Engagement, Challenge and Threat Appraisal, and Novelty Deprivation” Journal of Happiness Studies, September 2024, 1-18.

Nick Lichtenberg, “McKinsey Studied the Most Successful Fortune 500 CEOs and Found They Share One Similar Trait,” Fortune, November 2025.

Tony Martignetti, “How Great Leaders Use Curiosity to Drive Innovation,” Fast Company, April 18, 2025.