Curiosity As A Leadership Skill For New Managers

Key Takeaways

• Curiosity lifts the pressure new managers feel to know everything and replaces that pressure with steadier confidence grounded in learning.
• Curiosity strengthens trust quickly because teams feel heard when a leader asks thoughtful questions and shows genuine interest in their perspectives.
• Curiosity reduces the risk of poor choices by prompting leaders to check assumptions and bring more voices into important conversations.
• Curiosity fuels personal growth because it opens the door to better self-awareness, stronger relationships, and clearer pathways through uncertainty.
• Curiosity helps new managers create a healthier team culture where openness feels safe and fresh ideas rise more easily.

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Curiosity isn’t a soft skill. It’s a high-performance leadership skill that new managers can’t afford to ignore. Business today moves too quickly for any one person to have all the answers. The old “know-it-all” management model is buckling under modern pressures, and new managers often feel that strain right away.

For a first-time manager, the pressure to have all the answers can be overwhelming, often breeding a lonely kind of self-doubt. Imposter syndrome thrives when a leader is afraid to ask for help. 78% of business leaders admit to experiencing impostor syndrome at work, showing that even top executives battle this kind of self-doubt. The difference is that the best leaders relieve this burden by asking questions instead of pretending to know it all.

The Pressure New Managers Feel to Know Everything

Many new managers still believe they’re supposed to have a solution for every problem the moment they step into the role. They grew up admiring visionary bosses who always seemed to know what to do, so they equate uncertainty with weakness. As a result, a first-time manager will often hide any sign of doubt and avoid asking questions, fearing it will make them look unqualified. This “I have to be the smartest person in the room” mindset quickly becomes a heavy, isolating load to carry. A new supervisor might stay up late trying to solve every problem solo, afraid that asking the team for input will make them look weak.

For many, this expectation is compounded by a lack of support. Around 60% of new managers never receive any formal training before they take on leadership, so they feel they must figure out everything on their own. Instead of reaching out for guidance, they double down on pretending they have it all under control. On the inside, these managers are anxious that one “stupid” question or misstep will expose them as a fraud.

How the Need to Be the Smartest in the Room Holds Leaders Back

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Trying to be the smartest person in the room doesn’t make someone a better leader; it actually holds them back.

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When a manager is preoccupied with looking infallible, they stop listening and stop learning. They won’t admit when a decision isn’t working or when someone else might have a better idea. In clinging to the image of “I know best,” they miss chances to improve and often end up making poorer decisions as a result. For example, if a project is veering off track, an insecure manager might dismiss a team member’s warning and charge ahead blindly, only to run into avoidable problems because they refused to listen.

A know-it-all leadership style also backfires on the team. Employees can tell when their manager isn’t truly interested in their input, and they disengage once they feel ignored. 63% of workers say their employer ignores their ideas or concerns. That’s a recipe for mistrust: people stop sharing information, problems stay hidden, and the team’s best ideas never see the light of day. Some employees will even choose to leave rather than keep talking to a boss who isn’t listening.

Why Curiosity Is the Leadership Skill That Builds Real Confidence

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For a new manager wrestling with self-doubt, curiosity can completely change the equation. Instead of faking confidence, a curious leader admits what they don’t know and treats each challenge as a chance to learn. Saying “Let’s find out” rather than pretending to have the answer is how they start building real confidence in themselves. Over time, this approach replaces anxiety with adaptability. The manager grows more capable and at ease precisely because they never stop learning.

A curious leadership style creates a culture where everyone can excel. When a manager asks and listens, people feel valued – team trust and engagement soar. With more voices contributing ideas, the team finds more creative solutions and avoids costly mistakes. Studies have linked curiosity with greater collaboration and fewer decision-making errors, but only 24% of organizations actively encourage it. That’s a huge missed opportunity by companies, because leaders who embrace curiosity end up with more innovative, higher-performing teams (and far less personal burnout). For example, Tyler Chisholm, a CEO who adopted a curiosity-first culture, attributes his company’s strongest growth and performance to prioritizing curiosity within the team.

Using the Curiosity Scale to Lead Yourself and Your Team

Curiosity isn’t just a vague idea – it can be practiced through a simple framework. Tyler Chisholm made curiosity his core principle and developed something called the “Curiosity Scale” to guide new leaders. The scale has three levels: self-curiosity, relational curiosity, and strategic curiosity. On the first level, self-curiosity, you focus on understanding your own thoughts, triggers, and blind spots as a leader. The next level, relational curiosity, is all about your team – asking questions to understand your people’s ideas, motivations, and challenges.

The final level is strategic curiosity, which means looking beyond your team to the bigger picture. At this stage, a leader explores how different pieces of the business connect and constantly asks “What if?” about future possibilities. It reminds you to start by being curious about your own approach, then to nurture curiosity in your team, and finally to apply it to broader strategy. For instance, a manager might begin the day by examining their own assumptions (self-curiosity), use one-on-one meetings to learn from the team’s ideas (relational curiosity), and set aside time each week to explore big-picture “what if” scenarios for the business (strategic curiosity). Climbing this curiosity ladder every day ensures that, even as a novice manager, you lead by example and set a tone of continuous learning.

Building Curiosity into Your Leadership from Day One

• Admit what you don’t know: Be honest when you don’t have an answer. Showing a bit of vulnerability signals that you care more about getting it right than about looking infallible. Remember that no one expects you to be a human encyclopedia. Your job is to guide the team to the best answer, not to personally know everything.
• Lead with questions, not answers: Make it a habit to ask at least one thoughtful question in every meeting or discussion. This invites others to contribute rather than just waiting for orders. Leading with genuine questions also shows you’re truly interested in other perspectives, which sparks higher engagement.
• Listen to your team: When someone offers an idea or feedback, give them your full attention. Active listening shows your team that their thoughts matter and encourages them to keep sharing. Make sure to acknowledge or build on what you hear – this reinforces that their input truly matters.
• Reward curiosity in others: Show appreciation when someone asks a great question or raises a concern. This kind of positive reinforcement creates a safe space for open dialogue on the team. When curiosity is celebrated, team members become more confident bringing up ideas and issues before problems escalate.
• Make learning a routine: Dedicate regular time for learning and exploration, both for yourself and your team. For example, you might start team meetings with a quick “What did we learn this week?” round or set aside an hour each week for the group to explore new ideas. It sends the message that improvement and exploration are a normal part of work, not an extra task or distraction.
• Ask for feedback early and often: Periodically ask your team how you can improve or what they need more of. Being curious about your own performance makes it normal for everyone to give and receive constructive feedback. You can also invite input from peers or mentors – the more you ask, the more you normalize continuous improvement in your leadership.
• Explore outside your bubble: Talk to people beyond your immediate team to gain new perspectives. Staying curious about other departments, industries, or customer needs can spark ideas that benefit your team and build your credibility as a well-rounded leader.

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For a new manager wrestling with self-doubt, curiosity can completely change the equation.

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Leading with Curiosity from Now On

Making curiosity part of your leadership playbook isn’t a one-time tactic; it’s a mindset shift that can define your career. For those accustomed to always having an answer, this change might feel uncomfortable at first. That’s why structured support and practice are so important. Tools like the Curiosity Scale framework or guided coaching can provide a safe space to build new habits. With each real conversation and open question, you’ll strengthen your credibility and your team’s trust in you.

This approach to leadership isn’t just theory; it’s grounded in real experience. It draws on insights from hundreds of candid interviews with leaders and on proven principles of psychology and emotional intelligence. Embracing curiosity now will set you apart in a workforce still crowded with outdated “know-it-all” managers. You will handle uncertainty with agility, build a more resilient team, and earn lasting respect, all without burning out. In the end, the most successful new leaders will be the ones who choose to stay curious every day.

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