Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz once said, "You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions." Curiosity plays a crucial role in good leadership. Exceptional leaders go beyond merely asking questions to developing what I refer to as "intentional curiosity."

Third, ask open-ended questions to get your responder to go deeper. Closed-ended questions, or questions with yes-or-no answers, neither encourage conversation nor spark new ideas in your respondent. Think like a journalist, which in a sense you are, and ask the questions a reporter would ask: What, who, why, when, where, and how questions push the

Curiosity: Questions are the answer to improving curiosity. Before you start reading or learning anything, ask yourself motivational questions. Most people ask questions that don’t move them to action.

ask questions of your conversation partner that begin with “How…?” and “What…?” That is, questions that invite open-ended, constructive answers, rather than “Why…?” questions that demand justifications or “Do you…?” questions with yes/no answers.

We always ask “Why?” to understand the underlying problems. This is nice if you’re talking to customers and stakeholders, but if you’re in a coaching situation, asking “What?” is a much more powerful word to use. You can ask, “So, what do you think about this?” It’s a much more open-ended question and it will give you more insights. “Why did you do

If you’re not trying to fix things, you don’t need the backstory. Stick to questions starting with “What” and avoid questions starting with “Why.”

Good questions are the most underrated leadership tool. Questions cause thinking, and good questions cause the right thinking.