How Leaders Can Leverage “The Curiosity Curve” to Spark Innovation, Engagement, and Trust

Summary

Dr Debra Clary argues that curiosity is not a nicety but a learnable leadership capability that drives innovation, engagement and trust. From her early experience as a Frito-Lay delivery driver to leading teams in Fortune 50 firms, she observed that people who ask questions outperform those who simply follow the status quo. To help leaders cultivate curiosity intentionally, she introduces the Curiosity Curve™, a four-zone framework (Exploration; Focused Engagement; Inspirational Creativity; Openness to New Ideas) that leaders should balance to build psychologically safe, creative and high-performing teams.

The article outlines why curiosity matters (wider solution space, higher retention and deeper trust) and gives practical steps leaders can apply: model curiosity, embed inquiry into decisions, reward questions as well as answers, and create small routines that normalise asking.

Key Points

Curiosity is a capability that can be learned, measured and modelled by leaders.
The Curiosity Curve™ has four zones: Exploration, Focused Engagement, Inspirational Creativity, and Openness to New Ideas.
Leaders who ask better questions uncover innovation, build trust and increase employee engagement.
Practical actions include: ask more than you answer, test decisions through the four zones, reward questions, and create routines of inquiry.
Neglecting curiosity leads to stale thinking, disengagement and loss of competitive edge in talent and ideas.

Why should I read this?

Short version: if you run a team and want better ideas without the usual drama, this is worth five minutes. It shows why asking smarter questions beats barking orders, and gives quick, repeatable moves you can try at your next meeting. We read it so you don’t have to — pick one tip and use it tomorrow.

Context and Relevance

The piece is timely for leaders facing fast-changing markets and talent shortages. It links to broader trends — psychological safety, human-centred leadership and innovation processes — and offers a simple framework to convert curiosity into repeatable practices. For organisations trying to retain creative talent or close the gap between strategy and execution, cultivating the Curiosity Curve™ can be a practical lever.

Author style

Punchy and experience-led. Clary uses vivid anecdotes (from delivery truck to C-suite) to make the point quickly and provides actionable steps rather than abstract theory. If you care about improving team performance, the tone amplifies why the details matter — this isn’t just nice-to-know, it’s usable.