Leaders Embrace Curiosity to Combat Burnout and Enhance Teams

The modern leadership landscape is rapidly evolving, placing increasing demands on those at the helm. Today’s leaders are expected to juggle multiple roles, operating as strategists while executing day-to-day tasks. This dual responsibility can lead to a phenomenon known as the “working leader’s dilemma,” where the lines between leading and doing blur, resulting in burnout and inefficiency.

According to Tyler, a thought leader within Digital Journal’s Insight Forum, leaders today find themselves stretched thin. They are tasked not only with setting the vision for their organizations but also with ensuring the smooth operation of daily activities. This pressure to perform across various fronts often proves overwhelming, leaving leaders to question how to create space for both strategic thinking and operational execution.

The Balancing Act of Leadership

In a recent podcast episode from Collisions YYC, Jennie Gilbert highlighted the brutal balancing act that defines contemporary leadership. Leaders are frequently caught toggling between high-level goal setting and immediate problem solving. One moment they might be devising strategies for the next quarter, and the next they are addressing urgent client issues or minor administrative tasks. This constant back-and-forth can drain energy and disrupt focus, leading to decision fatigue as leaders struggle to distinguish between urgent and important matters.

Many leaders respond to this challenge by working harder and taking on more personal responsibility. While this may seem like a viable solution, it only exacerbates the bottlenecks faced by their teams and contributes to a cycle of burnout. Fortunately, a shift towards curiosity can provide a more effective approach to leadership.

Curiosity encourages leaders to engage their teams rather than attempting to shoulder the burden alone. By fostering an environment where questions are welcomed, leaders can create space for team members to contribute meaningfully. This approach not only leads to innovative ideas and solutions but also alleviates the weight carried by individual leaders.

Transforming Leadership through Curiosity

Adopting a curious mindset transforms leadership from a solo endeavor into a collaborative practice. Leaders who prioritize curiosity become catalysts for conversations that stimulate new thinking and creativity. This shift is particularly beneficial for leaders feeling overwhelmed by competing demands. By leading with curiosity, they can achieve several key outcomes:

– **Prioritization with Precision**: Curious leaders assess the root causes of issues rather than reacting to surface-level problems, enabling them to focus their energy effectively.

– **Uncovering Hidden Talent**: By asking insightful questions, leaders can draw out the ideas and initiatives of team members who might otherwise remain silent.

– **Building Trust**: Openness in leadership fosters a sense of shared responsibility, indicating that leaders do not have all the answers and empowering teams to collaborate in problem-solving.

– **Activating Capacity**: As teams feel empowered to tackle challenges, they develop a greater sense of ownership over their work, creating a more dynamic and effective workplace.

A real-world example illustrates this shift. Sara, a vice president at a growing tech company, found herself overwhelmed by constant requests for decision-making from her team. In a coaching session, she resolved to experiment with a simple change: responding to inquiries about what to do with a question of her own: “What do you think we should try?” This adjustment not only reduced her workload but also sparked new process improvements from her team, allowing her to reclaim hours of focus.

Leaders often feel pressured to maintain an “on” demeanor, always available and calm under stress. This expectation can lead to a culture that prioritizes speed over thoughtful decision-making, perpetuating a cycle of exhaustion. Curiosity can serve as a remedy by allowing leaders to take necessary pauses for reflection and inquiry, sharpening their focus and enhancing their decision-making capabilities.

To implement curiosity effectively, leaders can adopt several strategies:

1. **Rethink One-on-One Meetings**: Transform traditional status updates into explorative discussions by asking questions like, “What’s slowing you down?” or “What assumptions have we made that might not hold true?”

2. **Redesign Debriefs**: After a project, instead of a quick review, delve deeper by asking, “What surprised us?” or “If we had to do it again, what would we change?”

3. **Set Boundaries with Curiosity**: Leaders should pause before committing to new tasks, asking themselves if the focus is best utilized on that task or if others could contribute instead.

Curiosity not only empowers leaders but also fosters a culture that values exploration and innovation. When leaders model curiosity, they signal to their teams that questioning is not only acceptable but encouraged. This shift contributes to psychological safety, enabling teams to voice their ideas and challenge assumptions without fear of criticism.

Ultimately, when leaders embrace curiosity, they transform their roles from solitary burdens to shared endeavors. This change enhances connection and collaboration, allowing teams to rise to challenges collectively rather than relying solely on their leaders.

The pressures faced by working leaders are unlikely to diminish in the near future. However, by adopting a curious leadership approach, they can navigate these challenges more effectively. By choosing to engage rather than control, leaders can lighten their load and foster an environment where their teams thrive.

As the landscape of leadership continues to evolve, curiosity stands out as a vital tool. It not only helps leaders manage complexity but also enriches their leadership experience, making it more collaborative and less isolating. The questions leaders ask can significantly influence their effectiveness and the overall health of their teams, paving the way for a more engaged and innovative workplace.