Stefaan van Hooydonk

Research has shown that forward-looking curious companies are more innovative and competitive vs. their peers. In this keynote we explore how c-suites can influence their organizations by embracing the power of curiosity.

Every person is born with a healthy dose of curiosity. Some people can maintain this level through adulthood, many however see its original strength diminish over time. The reason why curiosity decreases as we grow older is because we become fixed in our ways of thinking and our routines; we stop asking important questions of our customers, our colleagues and ourselves.

The same happens with start-ups. Early start-ups have a high predisposition to exploration, only to see that this mindset deteriorates once the company expands. The company starts to focus on efficiency, it conforms to rigid standards, and thus finds it harder to learn from mistakes.

It does not have to be this way. Curiosity is like a muscle. With intentional focus we can grow our curiosity and capacity to rise above ourselves as individuals and professionals. Research has shown that curious professionals make more money and progress faster through their career, are happier in life, and are also better at maintaining relationships. They also learn faster, are more open to change and benefit from a deeper self-awareness. They ask deeper, better, and more questions and are, overall, more successful. They are more productive and see more results.

In this interactive session, we will explore what we know about curiosity, why it is important in our professional life, and reflect on strategies to get better at it.