Did Curiosity Kill the Cat?
No! It Inspired the Cat To Be More Creative!
Issue #63
Have you heard the classic story about a man watching his wife cook a pot roast? She cut off the end of the pot roast before putting it in the pot, and he asked her why. She said that was what her mother always did. Since she was curious, she called her mother and asked her why she cut off the end of the pot roast. Her mother said because her grandmother did. The woman called her grandmother and asked why she always cut off the end of the pot roast. And the grandmother said that she cut off the end because the pot was too small.
I have seen this often in the world of business. Managers introduce new forms and procedures to help solve a problem. Years later, the problem was solved, yet people still had to complete a useless form or follow a useless procedure.
Do you question your habits? What habits have you formed that are based on out-of-date information? What habits do you need to change? What processes in your business do you need to change?
There is so much that we don't know. The more I learn, the less I feel I know. Are you curious about what you do not know? Are you still learning? Still reading? Still growing?
Are you curious about the world around you? Do you ask: Why? How? When? Where? Are you searching for new information and ideas? Are you asking questions and looking for answers?
Are you challenging the status quo? Do you doubt what many people accept as truth? Do you challenge the assumptions of others? Do you challenge your assumptions? Do you challenge your beliefs? Or do you accept what was taught to you as the truth?
Do you accept the statements of experts without question? Do you question what you read in the newspaper or hear on television? Are you willing to think differently than those around you? Do you hang out with people who think like you do? Or do you surround yourself with people who think differently than you?
If creative leaders seek new ideas and ways of seeing the world, they will find satisfaction in the discovery. We need and want answers to our questions. Part of the thrill in life is learning something new — figuring out something we didn't know.
Creative leaders need a strong sense of curiosity about the world they inhabit. They should not be satisfied with the pat answers of the past. The challenge is in finding new answers to some of the age-old questions.
Develop an attitude of curiosity. Be curious about everything. Look for connections that others do not see. As children, we are very curious about the world around us, but many of us have lost our curiosity as adults. We have accepted the myth that there is only one answer to every question. Instead, seek multiple answers.
Curiosity is the mother of creativity. Cultivate your curiosity. Be curious about the world in which you live. Ask questions. Seek answers. Your curiosity will nurture and expand your capacity for creativity.
Plant seeds of hope in the hearts of others!
