Curious Mind

Even before Brian Grazer became a famous and successful Hollywood producer, he was seeking out interesting people for his “curiosity conversations.”

The book provides an in-depth understanding of the role that curiosity has played in Grazer’s life. The premise of his argument is that you are a better leader if you approach your work (and life) with a health does of curiosity. This means learning about things outside your area of expertise. For example, Grazer had a curiosity conversation with Jonas Saulk, the inventory of the Polio vaccine. No, he didn’t meet with him because he was doing a movie about Polio. He met with him because he was curious to know what it felt like to be responsible for saving so many lives.

By expanding your knowledge to other areas, you improve your ability to solve problems because you have a wider vantage point from which to draw.

Gazer also discusses the need to use curiosity with your own team. Using curiosity allows you to ask questions rather than give direction. It opens your eyes to things that you may be taking for granted. It creates a culture that allows people to questions, in a safe environment, why you are doing the things you are doing. He gives examples of how he uses it with his team when a movie isn’t going the direction he was expecting.
If you are wondering about the role curiosity should play in your business, or how to get more curiosity into your life, A Curious Mind is a good place to start.