Have the Curiosity to Question the Obvious ~via Liz Crisafi
I want to be in a room where brains are actually storming, right Liz. Thank you for sharing...
The entire point of brainstorming is to gather ideas from diverse sources, discuss them, and let the best ideas rise to the top. You can only do that if the floor is truly open to everyone. Your employees have a ton of insights, both front-line and personal, that can help shape your strategies, but only if you’re willing to hear what they have to say.
True brainstorming = diversity of thought. -Ted
One of my favorite movies is My Cousin Vinny and I can quote pretty much every line (accent included 🤌). Beyond being one of the funniest movies ever made it also reminds me of one of the best leadership lessons I’ve ever learned.
IYKYK… Everyone in the courtroom assumes the expert witness has the answers. Then Vinny asks a different question.
Instead of asking the person with the most impressive resume or the most confidence about a single data point on the stand, he asks the person who actually understands how the car works every day in a real environment.
As a constant problem solver, that scene has stayed with me throughout my career. Some of the biggest breakthroughs I’ve led didn’t come from the boardroom or a spreadsheet. They came from operators, employees, sales teams, agency partners, and directly from customers because they live the experience every day.
It’s a friendly reminder that expertise is earned through curiosity, experience, and doing the work.
I’ve also learned that the quality of our decisions is only as good as the questions we’re willing to ask. Great leaders don’t assume expertise lives in one place or in the way someone communicates. They stay curious enough to find it wherever it exists.
And every time someone confidently tells me, “We’ve always done it this way,” I can’t help but think… “Are you sure about those five minutes?” 😉
Because sometimes the difference between being right and getting it right isn’t having the perfect answer… it’s having the curiosity (and the willingness) to question the obvious.
