Lifelong Learning
Have you ever noticed that the more experience we gain, the easier it becomes to stop being curious?
Experience is one of leadership’s greatest assets. It helps us recognize patterns, solve problems, and make decisions with confidence. But experience also carries a hidden danger. The more often we’re right, the easier it becomes to believe we already have the answers. The best leaders never allow experience to replace curiosity. They understand that growth doesn’t end when expertise begins—it begins when we remain humble enough to believe there is still something new to learn.
My kids are smarter than me.
I’m not exactly sure when that happened. It probably wasn’t much of a hurdle for them to overcome, but it took me a little while to admit it. They answer more Jeopardy! questions than I can. They breeze through crossword puzzles that leave me staring at blank squares. They’re talented in areas where I am completely lost.
They serve as a constant reminder of how much I still have to learn.
Many years ago, I used to tackle the Sunday crossword puzzle with my mother. I insisted on using a pen, which drove her crazy because I was constantly scribbling over answers I had been absolutely certain were correct. My mother had an incredible command of words, especially the old, obscure ones that I had never heard before. I considered myself fairly intelligent, but every Sunday she reminded me that intelligence isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about recognizing there’s always something more to learn.
That’s why John Wooden’s quote has always been one of my favorites.
It reminds me to stay curious.
To believe I don’t yet have all the answers.
To listen to people who may know something I don’t.
Every person we meet has experiences we haven’t had, perspectives we haven’t considered, and lessons we haven’t yet learned. The only question is whether we’ll be curious enough to discover them.
Over the past week we’ve explored curiosity from many different angles—challenging assumptions, asking better questions, listening more deeply, setting aside our agendas, and approaching conflict with a desire to understand rather than simply to win.
At its heart, though, curiosity is much simpler than that.
It’s choosing to believe that no matter how much we’ve accomplished, no matter how much experience we’ve gained, and no matter how much we think we know…
There is still something left to learn.
And that’s exactly what keeps leadership—and life—so rewarding.
Where could you grow if you were just a little more curious?
What will you do today to learn something new?
