Curiosity Is Not a Soft Skill: Why Great Leaders Ask Better Questions
Thu Jan 29 2026
We all start life curious. Asking questions. Exploring. Wondering why.
Yet somewhere along the way — especially at work — curiosity can begin to fade. Not because we stop caring, but because we’re rewarded for certainty, speed, and having the answers.
In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, Andy Goram is joined by leadership strategist, researcher, and TEDx speaker Dr Debra Clary to explore why curiosity isn’t a “nice-to-have”, it’s a leadership superpower.
Drawing on decades of experience inside global organisations like Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola, Jack Daniel’s, and Humana, Debra shares why curiosity can be learned, measured, and deliberately strengthened. Together, they unpack how curiosity drives performance, engagement, trust, and better decision-making — and why leaders who stop asking questions often unintentionally shut others down.
They also explore Debra’s research-backed Curiosity Curve, the four drivers of optimal curiosity, and why curiosity matters even more in a fast-moving, AI-driven world.
If you care about building teams where people feel seen, heard, and able to contribute, this conversation will change how you think about leadership.
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Key Takeaways
Curiosity is learned, not innate. Debra’s research shows curiosity can be developed, measured, and strengthened at every level.
Certainty kills contribution. When leaders prioritise speed and answers over questions, they unintentionally shut people down.
Great leaders play the long game. Asking questions builds confidence, capability, and future leaders — not just short-term efficiency.
Curiosity is a human advantage in the AI age. AI delivers answers; humans still need to ask the right questions and apply discernment.
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Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:
01:11 – Why curiosity is natural — and why it matters at work
07:57 – “Can curiosity be learned?” The question that changed everything
10:54 – What an Italian train journey taught Debra about certainty
13:36 – “Curiosity killed the cat” — the part we all missed
17:41 – Why disengaged employees feel unseen and unheard
26:15 – The Curiosity Curve explained
34:30 – Why senior leaders score higher on curiosity
38:51 – Curiosity, AI, and discernment
42:49 – Debra’s 3 Sticky Notes for curious leadership
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Join The Conversation
Find Andy Goram on LinkedIn here
Listen to the Podcast on YouTube here
Follow the Podcast on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast on Twitter here
Follow the Podcast on Facebook here
Check out the Bizjuicer website here
Get a free consultation with Andy here
Check out the Bizjuicer blog here
Download the podcast here
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Useful Links
Follow Dr Debra Clary on LinkedIn here
Follow Dr Debra Clary on Facebook here
Follow Dr Debra Clary on YouTube here
Find the Dr Debra Clary's website here
Find The Curiosity Curve here
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Full Episode Transcript
Get the full transcript of the episode here
More
We all start life curious. Asking questions. Exploring. Wondering why. Yet somewhere along the way — especially at work — curiosity can begin to fade. Not because we stop caring, but because we’re rewarded for certainty, speed, and having the answers. In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, Andy Goram is joined by leadership strategist, researcher, and TEDx speaker Dr Debra Clary to explore why curiosity isn’t a “nice-to-have”, it’s a leadership superpower. Drawing on decades of experience inside global organisations like Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola, Jack Daniel’s, and Humana, Debra shares why curiosity can be learned, measured, and deliberately strengthened. Together, they unpack how curiosity drives performance, engagement, trust, and better decision-making — and why leaders who stop asking questions often unintentionally shut others down. They also explore Debra’s research-backed Curiosity Curve, the four drivers of optimal curiosity, and why curiosity matters even more in a fast-moving, AI-driven world. If you care about building teams where people feel seen, heard, and able to contribute, this conversation will change how you think about leadership. ----more---- Key Takeaways Curiosity is learned, not innate. Debra’s research shows curiosity can be developed, measured, and strengthened at every level. Certainty kills contribution. When leaders prioritise speed and answers over questions, they unintentionally shut people down. Great leaders play the long game. Asking questions builds confidence, capability, and future leaders — not just short-term efficiency. Curiosity is a human advantage in the AI age. AI delivers answers; humans still need to ask the right questions and apply discernment. ----more---- Key Moments The key moments in this episode are: 01:11 – Why curiosity is natural — and why it matters at work 07:57 – “Can curiosity be learned?” The question that changed everything 10:54 – What an Italian train journey taught Debra about certainty 13:36 – “Curiosity killed the cat” — the part we all missed 17:41 – Why disengaged employees feel unseen and unheard 26:15 – The Curiosity Curve explained 34:30 – Why senior leaders score higher on curiosity 38:51 – Curiosity, AI, and discernment 42:49 – Debra’s 3 Sticky Notes for curious leadership ----more---- Join The Conversation Find Andy Goram on LinkedIn here Listen to the Podcast on YouTube here Follow the Podcast on Instagram here Follow the Podcast on Twitter here Follow the Podcast on Facebook here Check out the Bizjuicer website here Get a free consultation with Andy here Check out the Bizjuicer blog here Download the podcast here ----more---- Useful Links Follow Dr Debra Clary on LinkedIn here Follow Dr Debra Clary on Facebook here Follow Dr Debra Clary on YouTube here Find the Dr Debra Clary's website here Find The Curiosity Curve here ----more---- Full Episode Transcript Get the full transcript of the episode here