Decisions by Design | Edition 09

Radical Curiosity: Lead With Questions, Not Answers. 

Today's leaders are under pressure to make decisions at unprecedented speed.

But speed often invites assumptions. We fill in the blanks with what we think we know, instead of exploring what we don’t.

Radical Curiosity interrupts that pattern.

What Is Radical Curiosity?

Radical Curiosity is the intentional practice of suspending assumptions and asking deeper questions to uncover what is unknown, unseen, or unspoken.

It is “radical” because it goes beyond casual interest. It is disciplined, open-ended, and willing to hold uncertainty long enough for new perspectives and possibilities to emerge.

Where ordinary curiosity seeks information, Radical Curiosity seeks transformation in decisions, in relationships, and in leadership.

Radical Curiosity and The Coaching Mindset.

At its core, Radical Curiosity is the coaching mindset in action. Coaching is not about supplying answers; it’s about unlocking insight through powerful questions.

When leaders adopt a coaching mindset, they:

• Empower others by asking instead of telling, sparking ownership and creativity.
• Expand perspective by drawing out diverse views rather than relying on their own lens.
• Foster growth by creating space for reflection, discovery, and new possibilities.
  

Today’s challenges are too complex for a single leader to solve alone. A coaching mindset shifts leadership from directing to developing, from providing solutions to cultivating the conditions where solutions can emerge.

Radical Curiosity is the bridge: it keeps leaders from assuming they must have the answer, and equips them to ask the questions that move people, teams, and decisions forward.

Applying Radical Curiosity Situationally: Expand The Frame

In decision-making, Radical Curiosity sharpens outcomes and reduces blind spots. It expands the frame and strengthens alignment by asking:

• What am I not yet seeing that could change everything?
• Whose perspective is essential here but still missing?
• If this fails six months from now, what question will we wish we had asked today?
  

By practicing this kind of curiosity, leaders test the strength of their choices and make decisions that are smarter and more sustainable.

Applying Radical Curiosity Relationally: Deepen The Connection

Radical Curiosity is just as powerful in relationships. Where empathy assumes, “I know how you feel,” curiosity invites, “What are you experiencing?”

Relational curiosity deepens trust, builds psychological safety, and honors difference by asking:

• What feels most important for me to understand about your perspective?
• What kind of support would serve you best, without me trying to solve it?
• As we move forward, what’s the one thing you want me to hold front and center?
  

By using Radical Curiosity relationally, leaders create space for others to be fully seen on their own terms, deepening trust and belonging.

Radical Curiosity as an Antidote to Indecision: Unlock Momentum 

Indecision thrives on three common traps:

• Over-analysis: getting stuck in endless evaluation, waiting for perfect certainty.
• Fear of being wrong: delaying to avoid risk, judgment, or accountability.
• Competing priorities: being pulled in different directions without clarity on what matters most.
  

Radical Curiosity dissolves these traps by shifting the focus from having the answer to asking the better question. Instead of stalling, Radical Curiosity creates forward motion by asking into what matters most:

• What information is good enough to decide today?
• What experiment could move us forward while we learn more?
• What matters most right now?

Curiosity doesn’t delay action. It accelerates it by providing enough clarity and confidence to take the next step.

A Leadership Challenge

Give it a try. Begin your next meeting with Radical Curiosity.

Instead of launching into an agenda or updates, ask each person to respond to this question:

“What do we want to leave with that we don’t have now?”

That single question reframes the purpose of the room. It turns passive participation into active ownership, surfaces what truly matters, and transforms meetings from routine check-ins into engines of clarity and momentum.

Until Next Time,

With Clarity and Care, 

Courtne