WEEKLY WISDOM - CURIOSITY

Curiosity: a strong desire to know or learn something.

I am sitting outside this fantastic coffee shop in Nashville, TN, on Gallatin Road with my wife, and we are spending time together as we each read, study, and write. We are working on our crafts. I write the word "Curiosity" as my next Leadership, Lessons, and Legacy Letter, and I look to my right and see a young woman sitting two tables down reading a book titled "Sober Curious." I take that as a sign that I should write about this topic from a legacy letter perspective.

I've often heard the phrase "you are so nosy" growing up, not specifically about me, and it meant that the people they were referring to wanted to know more about the conversation others were having when they were not part of and not invited in the initial conversation.

As I reflect on this statement today, I see it as having a heightened sense of curiosity so that we can learn and apply what piques our interest and certainly stimulate our minds to keep growing, developing, and learning. I started a rhythm at the beginning of this year to journal what I have learned each day, and it caused me to be more aware of what was going on around me, what people were saying, and what the Holy Spirit was showing me. This practice became exciting because I knew I would come into the knowledge and understanding of something deeper each day, whether it was something internal that I discovered or some interesting, fun fact that I could use in my daily life. It became a question that guided my daily activities along with the other two questions I asked daily: "What did I learn about God today?" and "What did I learn today?".

As you are grooming your craft, challenge yourself to become curious daily. Become curious about who you are and what defines you. Become curious about the people you engage with daily, understand their motivations, and how you all can work more effectively together. Become curious about your profession and how it fulfills your mission, vision, and calling. Become curious about how God has your life crossing with others and how you are a productive citizen in society for the Kingdom.

This curiosity can be highly beneficial in developing your leadership skills as you consistently search for the answers to "why." Curiosity will help refine your mission and vision statements, establish more efficient and effective processes, develop a culture that breeds excellence, and encourage team members to stretch to be their best version.

A leader that I have learned from and continue to be challenged by is Joseph, Genesis Chapters 27 through 50. He wasn't perfect, but there was significant development in his leadership as he matured and continued to seek God for wisdom and discernment. Please read it, be challenged, and grow in your curiosity!

Exercise Your Power this week-

1.       Reflect on what you are most curious about from a leadership and life perspectives.

2.       Select the one thing you would like to learn more about over the year and take steps to master it.

3.       Discover how your vision and mission in life drives your curiosity.