A former colleague once told me that I found too many things interesting. I, on the other hand, failed to understand how she could be so passive in the face of all the fascinating information that surrounded her.
Librarians are, by their nature, curious people.
That is, they have a desire to find things out, ferret out information, know more.
This has the advantage of making librarians a great addition to a trivia/quiz team.
Without curiosity, and no doubt a few errors, most scientific advancement would never happen. The majority of progress, both personal and professional, is down to asking “What if …” “Why does …” “How can I …” and similar questions.
When interviewed in regard to his recent knighthood for services to New Zealand rugby, Sir Wayne Smith said of his career :
“You need a growth mindset. You need to be curious … You share some ideas and get a few back and that makes you stronger and helps you get better …”
It’s not just rugby coaches though – curiosity is a useful trait for all business people as noted in the Disney quote at the start of this post.
Curiosity sparks innovation and creativity. The need to understand and learn more encourages problem solving. Curiosity leads to out of the square thinking.
In this blog we have compiled some resources to help you better understand curiosity and how to harness it to your advantage.
How to be curious. By: Jones, Dan, New Scientist, 02624079, 10/15/2022, Vol. 256, Issue 3408 Database: MasterFILE Complete (Library registration required)
Curiosity can be a boon and a bane by turns. The secret is to know when to let it loose and when to keep it in check, says Dan Jones
Entrepreneurial Curiosity, Innovativeness of the Entrepreneur, and Company Growth by Peljko, Ž & Auer Antončič, J 2022, Sciences (2076-328X), vol. 12, no. 11, p. 424, viewed 16 May 2023.
Database : Academic Search Elite (Library registration required)
Researchers have studied entrepreneurial curiosity and innovativeness as determinants of entrepreneurial behavior but have not linked them with company growth in a model. The intention of this enquiry was to examine the associations between the entrepreneur’s psychological constructs of entrepreneurial curiosity and innovativeness and business growth, as examined by the conceptualization and analysis of hypotheses. … This study contributes to the entrepreneurship knowledge base by presenting empirical testimony on the associations between entrepreneurial curiosity, entrepreneurial innovativeness, and firm growth, as well as presenting advanced cross-nationally analogous measurement instruments of entrepreneurial curiosity and innovativeness. The entrepreneur’s curiosity is important for their innovativeness, and this innovativeness is essential for business growth. [adapted ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
How Leaders Can Leverage Curiosity For Inclusion: Why wouldn’t every leader lead with curiosity? by Kaye, B & Giulioni, JW, 2021, , Leadership Excellence, vol. 38, no. 11, pp. 40–42, Database: Business Source Premier (Library registration required)
In a pulse survey, we asked leaders across the country how important curiosity is to a variety of business factors and outcomes. In her book, The Business of We, Kriska writes that well-meaning people truly want to connect with others about their differences. In fact, our text analysis of the responses of more than 250 leaders who participated in a recent study paints a vivid picture of curiosity’s role in the workplace. [Extracted from the article]
TED Talks have a curated page of talks on curiosity.
If you want to take a closer look at the topic you will find the following books on curiosity within the Wellington City Libraries book collection.
Curious habits : why we do what we do and how to change / Mathers, Luke
“Attention to detail is great perfectionism is a curious habit. Chocolate is awesome; using it to treat anxiety is a curious habit. Honest self-awareness is admirable; constantly beating yourself up is a curious habit. We have habits for a reason, we repeat things that feel good and move away from the stuff we don t like. Our habits solve a problem and make life easier. Unfortunately, our habits can turn on us. This book teaches us how to use curiosity as a superpower. It takes the blame and shame out of habit change so that we make the change not because we HAVE to, but because we WANT to. Drawing from the collective wisdom of evolutionary biology, neuroscience, Stoic philosophy and even Instagram, leading mindset coach Luke Mathers helps us embrace the power of curiosity to recognise when habits start to impact negatively our health and happiness. Curious Habits offers an entertaining, thought-provoking and non-judgmental exploration into why we do the things we do, and how to reset for a healthier, happier and more fulfilling life”–Publisher’s description.” (Catalogue)
The art of exploration : lessons in curiosity, leadership and getting things done / Wood, Levison
“Levison Wood talks about his secrets of discovery for the first time in this revealing manual of what it means to be an explorer in the modern age. The man who has walked the Nile, the Himalayas and the Americas discusses his lessons from a life on the road, how he managed to turn a passion into a lifestyle, and what inspired and motivated him along the way. Wood explains how he and other explorers face up to life’s challenges, often in extraordinary circumstances and demonstrates resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. He shares examples of pioneers in many fields, using their work to show how we can all develop our own explorer’s mindset and how these lessons can be applied in daily life. With chapters on curiosity, teamwork, resilience and positivity this is a book that provides a tool kit — no matter your age or profession.” (Catalogue)
The power of wonder : the extraordinary emotion that will change the way you live, learn, and lead / Parker, Monica C.
“The Power of Wonder takes readers on a multidisciplinary journey through psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, literature, and business to share some of the surprising secrets behind the mechanics of wonder and guides readers in bringing more of it into their lives. Readers will learn about the components and elicitors of wonder, and how it can transform our bodies and brains. From taking a daily “awe walk” to discovering a new and all-consuming interest in something you’d never given much thought to before, this book shows readers how to become more wonder-prone and reconnect with a reverence for the world and all the fascinating people in it”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)
Stop, ask, explore : learn to navigate change in times of uncertainty / Ball, Joan P
“Your business announced a major restructuring and your role is put at risk. You just graduated into a changing marketplace. You finally have the career you always wanted, but you wonder if there is more to life than what you’ve built. Interruptions and disruptions will block your path throughout your journey. You need to learn to navigate them. This book offers readers a practical framework for navigating life’s inevitable turning points, thresholds and transitions-at work at home and in between. Drawing upon more than a decade of research and work with established and emerging leaders across the globe, leadership consultant, Joan Ball invites emerging and established changemakers and their teams to reimagine their relationship with interruptions and disruptions-life’s What Now? Moments. This book guides you on a quest to recognize the creative potential that exists in the times between what was, What Now? and what might be.
Stop, Ask, Explore is a lively and eye-opening book that introduces field-tested tools designed to allow you to more effectively engage interruptions and disruptions and develop the hopeful curiosity and experimental mindset needed to lead yourself and those around you in an era of unrelenting and exponential change. Discover how to learn, discern, choose and confirm the right way forward, rather than mindlessly ‘pivoting’ our ‘bouncing back’ without direction. They don’t teach this in business school, yet navigating change successfully will be the difference between those who thrive or survive in the new world of work”– Provided by publisher” (Catalogue)
Curiosity : art and the pleasures of knowing
“Curiosity explores the notion of intellectual and creative curiosity. Compiled in association with author and U.K. editor of Cabinet magazine Brian Dillon, this richly illustrated book explores objects, artworks and narratives drawn from a variety of disciplines–scientific, occult, anthropological and aesthetic–taking as its guide a sensibility that developed in Europe in the early modern period and tracing it at work in disparate historical and contemporary contexts. Contributors to the volume include Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin, Agency, Aura Satz, Aur lien Froment, Charles Le Brun, Corinne May Botz, Gunda F rster, Jeremy Millar, Laurent Grasso, Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka, Matt Mullican, Nicolaes Maes, Nina Katchadourian, Pablo Bronstein, Philip Henry Gosse, Robert Hooke, Roger Caillois, Tacita Dean, Thomas Gr nfeld and Toril Johannessen.” (Catalogue)
Why? : what makes us curious / Livio, Mario
“This is a fascinating examination of perhaps our most human characteristic, our innate curiosity, our deep desire to know why. Why are we more distracted by a cell-phone conversation, where we can hear only one side of the dialogue, than by an overheard argument between two people? Are children more curious than adults? What is the source of the morbid curiosity that causes bystanders to gather at crime scenes or traffic accidents? What evolutionary purpose does curiosity serve? How does our mind choose what to be curious about? Why? explores these and many other intriguing questions. Curiosity is essential to creativity. It is a necessary ingredient in so many art forms, from mystery novels and film dramas to painting, sculpture, and music. It is the principal driver of science, and yet there is no scientific consensus on why we humans are so curious or about the precise mechanisms in our brain that are responsible for curiosity. Mario Livio investigates curiosity through the lives of such paragons of inquisitiveness as Leonardo da Vinci and Richard Feynman. He interviewed a range of exceptionally curious people from an astronaut with degrees in statistics, medicine, and literature to a rock guitarist with a PhD in astrophysics. Because of Livio’s own insatiable curiosity, Why? is an irresistible and entertaining book that will captivate anyone who is curious about curiosity.”–Jacket.” (Catalogue)
Curious : the desire to know & why your future depends on it / Leslie, Ian
“This is a book about our extraordinary capacity to take pleasure in discovering, learning and understanding – an analysis of why curiosity makes the world go round.” (Catalogue)
Creative acts for curious people : how to think, create, and lead in unconventional ways / Greenberg, Sarah Stein
“What do they teach you at the most prestigious design school in the world? For the first time, readers have the opportunity to find out. Featuring contributions from some inventive and unconventional minds – including founder David Kelley, Choreographer Aleta Hayes and Google Chief Innovation Evangelist Frederik Pferdt – and packed with ideas that help you nurture the art of learning, discovery and curiosity, this provocative and highly-visual guide is a definitive resource for readers who want to expand their creative tool kit and lead with curiosity.” (Catalogue) Also available as EBook Libby
Cracking the curiosity code : the key to unlocking human potential / Hamilton, Diane
“In Dr. Diane Hamilton’s provocative new book, she uncovers what could foreseeably be the next movement to enhance human performance, a critical and direct link to improving motivation and communication-based issues that challenge organizations. Drawing on decades of research and incorporating interviews from some of the top leaders of our time, Hamilton examines the factors that influence curiosity including fear, assumptions, technology, and environment (FATE). Her ground-breaking research provides an action plan to transform individuals and organizations. The organization that can stimulate its workers’ curiosity can enhance employee engagement, emotional intelligence, innovation, productivity, and the many other by-products that come with that intrinsic, but under-utilized attribute. By developing curiosity and the ability to communicate without fear of repercussions, second-guessing or judgmental responses, employees can be better aligned and emotionally committed to their jobs, which in turn, can lead to improved productivity.” (Catalogue)
The power of curiosity : how to have real conversations that create collaboration, innovation and understanding / Taberner, Kathy
“Use the power of curiosity to transform challenging conversations into productive, meaningful, relationship-building experiences at work, home, or school. As leaders, parents, or teachers, navigating difficult conversations is part of the job. How do we keep calm and achieve a productive outcome, all while keeping our relationships intact? The secret is curiosity. Curiosity is the innovation-driving, emotion-calming skill that comes so naturally to us as children, but gets so easily buried beneath our busy, multitasking lifestyles. The good news is that we simply have to relearn what we already know! In The Power of Curiosity, mother-daughter executive coaching team Kathy Taberner and Kirsten Taberner-Siggins walk you through the Curiosity Skills and introduce a step-by-step process to use anytime-but especially when challenging conversations arise.” (Catalogue)
If you would like more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.