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Top 10 TED Talks for Insight on Curiosity
Curiosity has been linked in engagement, emotional intelligence, communication, motivation, creativity, innovation, productivity and more. As part of research for Cracking the Curiosity Code, combing through TED talks was a fascinating way to review some important research into the area of curiosity. The following includes some highlights from some of the most insightful talks that inspire and educate regarding the importance of curiosity.
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Curiosity: The Key to Improving Innovation, Engagement, Creativity, and Productivity
“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious” – Albert Einstein
Everyone is born curious. So, what happens? Why do some people become less curious than others? For individuals, leaders, and companies to be successful, they must determine the things that hold curiosity hostage. Think of the most innovative companies, and you will notice they employ people who do not accept the status quo, they are not reluctant to change, they evolve with the times, they look for problems to solve, and focus on asking questions.
Billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Gates held a question and answer session at Columbia University. Just after the 5-minute mark, the moderator asked, “What is it that you two share?” They both answered with the same thing: curiosity. Buffett said, “Well, we both certainly share a curiosity about the world.” Gates said, “I think that curiosity that Warren mentioned, is an amazing thing.”
What Holds Us Back? 4 Things Holding Our Curiosity Hostage
We are often told to follow our passion. Even if we determine our passion, some things hold us back from pursuing our natural sense of curiosity. Curiosity has been called a sort of mental itch. There are surprisingly few studies about curiosity because it is difficult to study. Some people are more naturally curious than others. It can be important to have curiosity hardwired into us because it helps us grow and develop. There are factors like stress, aging, drugs, genetics, etc. that could impact our level of curiosity. Outside of medical issues or lack of financial capabilities, I have found four major things that hold people’s curiosity hostage including fear, the way things have always been done, parental/family/peer influence, and technology.
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To Become a Highly Effective Leader: Reduce Fear by Developing Curiosity
It might be surprising, but many leaders fear being discovered for not being as smart as they appear. Realistic or not, people often look to leaders as if they should know everything. This external pressure often leads to internal pressure. Leaders fear criticism, failure, making hard decisions, taking responsibility, or being unable to reach an important goal. Because of this, leaders often surround themselves with experts in areas with which they have less experience or knowledge, which can be a very crucial to their success. However, this can also keep them from developing some of these skills on their own. There are other things leaders can do to be truly effective, including developing their sense of curiosity in areas with which they might not normally be comfortable. Continue reading “To Become a Highly Effective Leader: Reduce Fear by Developing Curiosity”
Improving Workplace Conflict Requires Understanding Preferences
How do we know how others would like to be treated if we only look at things from our perspective? Understanding personality and generational preferences is so important because we learn about opposing or differing perspectives. To improve some of the key challenges in the workplace requires this understanding. These challenges include poor soft skills, low emotional intelligence, lack of engagement, and a negative culture. Many articles address how these problem stem from Boomer and Millennial conflict. Continue reading “Improving Workplace Conflict Requires Understanding Preferences”