EP-190: Cultivating Curiosity for High-Performance Leadership with Deborah Clary

In this episode of The Unconventional Path, hosts Bela Musits and Mike Wasserman sit down with Deborah Clary, a renowned leadership strategist, executive coach, and author of The Curiosity Curve. Deborah shares her profound insights into how curiosity—often dismissed as a childhood trait—is actually a critical state that drives organizational performance and engagement.Deborah’s journey into the power of curiosity began during her three decades in the corporate world, where she noticed a stark decline in engagement and productivity. Her research confirmed a direct link between curiosity and performance, leading her to develop frameworks that help leaders transition from a "know-it-all" to a "learn-it-all" mindset.During the conversation, Deborah breaks down the four essential factors of curiosity: exploration, inspirational creativity, openness to new ideas, and focused engagement. She emphasizes that while exploration is vital, it must be balanced with action to avoid becoming a distraction. Leaders learn how to find their place on the "curiosity curve" to ensure their teams are aligned, asking the right questions, and executing strategy effectively.Whether you are a CEO leading a large team or an entrepreneur looking to innovate, this episode provides actionable advice on how to foster a growth mindset and use curiosity as a competitive advantage.In This Episode, You Will Learn:Why curiosity is a state that can be learned, not just a fixed trait.The relationship between high curiosity and improved corporate performance.How to shift from making statements to asking powerful questions as a leader.The four pillars of the Curiosity Curve: Exploration, Creativity, Openness, and Engagement.Strategies for aligning executive teams through better inquiry and counsel.Why the best answer a leader can give is often, "I don't know, but let's explore it together".About Deborah Clary: Deborah Clary is an executive coach and leadership strategist dedicated to improving organizational health through the lens of curiosity. With over 30 years of experience navigating complex corporate systems, she helps high-level executives align their teams and drive results by fostering a culture of continuous learning.Connect with The Unconventional Path:Our podcast is now available on YouTube. Simply search for "The Unconventional Path" to subscribe and never miss an episode.We're always on the lookout for interesting guests to feature on our show. If you know someone who has an inspiring story, unique perspective, or valuable expertise to share, please let us know. We're eager to connect with potential guests who can bring fresh insights and engaging conversations to our audience.We also love hearing from our listeners! Your questions, comments, and suggestions are incredibly valuable to us. Send us an email at [email protected] with your thoughts, and we'll do our best to address them in a future episode. Whether you have a question about a specific topic, feedback on a recent episode, or ideas for future content, we want to hear from you. Your engagement helps us shape the show and deliver content that resonates with our listeners.Thanks for listening,Bela and MikeSEO Search Terms:Leadership curiosity, executive coaching, Deborah Clary, The Curiosity Curve, organizational performance, growth mindset for leaders, high-performance teams, entrepreneurship innovation, leadership strategy, corporate engagement, learn-it-all mindset, unconventional path podcast, team alignment, executive leadership tips.