Seven C’s of Great Leaders — #1 — Curiosity
By: Shashi Kulkarni
Tags: Leadership, Technology, Work, Business, Productivity

The Five-Dimensional Curiosity Scale

This five-dimensional model is a result of the research done by scientists at George Mason University. This explains what are different types of curiosities and how people think when they are applying these dimensions.

I am personally fascinated by the examples of how people think, which is provided in the research paper, supporting each of the five dimensions.

It provides the guidelines which we all leaders can use to train our teams on building and improving curiosity.

Deprivation sensitivity:

This dimension is about recognizing the gap in knowledge, and the relief which is offered as a part of filling that gap. The people who experience it work relentlessly towards solving the problem. The research paper appendix A provides the details of what people think in identifying such gaps.

Thinking about solutions to difﬁcult conceptual problems can keep me awake at night. I can spend hours on a single problem because I just can’t rest without knowing the answer. I feel frustrated if I can’t ﬁgure out the solution to a problem, so I work even harder to solve it. I work relentlessly at problems that I feel must be solved. It frustrates me not having all the information I need.

Joyous exploration:

This second dimension is about those who are consumed with wonders about fascinating features in the world.

I view challenging situations as an opportunity to grow and learn. I am always looking for experiences that challenge how I think about myself and the world. I seek out situations where it is likely that I will have to think in-depth about something. I enjoy learning about subjects that are unfamiliar to me. I ﬁnd it fascinating to learn new information.

Social curiosity

This dimension is about talking with, listening to, and observing others, to learn what they are thinking and doing.

I like to learn about the habits of others. I like ﬁnding out why people behave the way they do. When other people are having a conversation, I like to ﬁnd out what it’s about. When around other people, I like listening to their conversations. When people quarrel, I like to know what’s going on.

Stress tolerance

This dimension is about the willingness to accept and even harness the anxiety associated with novelty. According to the research, People lacking this ability will see information gaps, experience wonder, and are interested in others but are unlikely to step forward and explore.

The negatively listed thought process in the minds of people, who lack this ability is provided as:

The smallest doubt can stop me from seeking out new experiences. I cannot handle the stress that comes from entering uncertain situations. I ﬁnd it hard to explore new places when I lack conﬁdence in my abilities. I cannot function well if I am unsure whether a new experience is safe. It is difﬁcult to concentrate when there is a possibility that I will be taken by surprise.

Thrill-seeking

This dimension is about being willing to take physical, social, and financial risks to acquire varied, complex, and intense experiences. Again the same Appendix A in the research paper provides the details of such people’s thoughts as below: