Curious + Graceful Leadership: 5 Ways to Put It Into Practice

Last week I posted about this simple but powerful phrase:
"Be curious, not judgmental. And when it’stime to judge — be graceful about it."

Manyof you shared how this mindset resonates in leadership and culture building.

Thenext step? Turn it into a daily habit.

Hereare 5 simple ways to practice curiosity + gracein your leadership:

Ask one curious question in every meetingand every interaction. ("What are we learning? Or “why do youthink that” are great starts)

Pause beforedeciding. Take a deep breath and ask: "Helpme understand how you got here."

Give feedback thatinvites growth. Pair honesty with empathy and a clear path forwardeven if its not what the person wants to hear. Say something like “here are ways to get better.”

Keep the door openafter tough calls. Let your team know their ideas are still valued.  Say something like “I value your opinion”even though I am making a different choice.

Model curiosity yourself.Share moments where new learning changed your thinking. Say something like “I thought I knew it all but then I learned somethingnew” and give a specific example.

Cultures of curiosity and grace arebuilt one conversation at a time.
Leaders who do this well create teams that speak up, take risks, and keeplearning.

Leaders who don’t will create teamsthat don’t speak up and who will stagnate.

At the end of the day also rememberto be kind and respectful…people are coming to work the next day unless youfire them.  What kind of mood do you wantthem in?

How are you putting thisinto practice? Would love to hear more ideas!

#Leadership#Curiosity #FeedbackCulture #LeadingWithGrace

Interested in more information or a quickconsultation, please contact GW Legacy Advisorsserving Sioux Falls, Rapid City,Omaha, Fargo, Des Moines and the surrounding great plains region. www.gw-legacy.com.

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