Aren't You Curious?

by Jennifer Brough, PR Strategist, The Anderson Group
Email comments to jbrough@theandersongrp.com.

Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think,

is still the secret of great creative people

       – Leo Burnett

Is it any wonder that NASA’s latest Mars rover, which departed on November 26 from Cape Canaveral, is named Curiosity? Next August 2012, when the rover arrives on Mars for its two-year research project, Curiosity’s main mission will be to search for life, a question that has long entranced scientists and Star Trek fans alike.

Likewise, every year, eager trackers of the holiday classic, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” tabulate the price for the 364 items mentioned during the carol. In 2011, the price tag finally toppled the $100,000 mark. What drives some to ask these questions and find the answers? (In case you’re curious, swans come with the highest price tag; partridges, with the lowest.)

And, a fascinating article in the Columbia Journalism Review explores the future of journalism by touching on how the medium feeds curiosity. A passage from this worthwhile read:

“One of the responsibilities of a magazine of ideas, after all, is to see around the corners – to give readers and change-makers and industry leaders a taste of the world not just as it is, but as it will be. And the future is anything but predictable. It is promising and frightening and beguiling and frustrating – often all at the same time.”

That all sounds exciting! It also lends itself well to our instinct versus insight dialogue which we began in September with the simple question: Do you operate on instinct or insight? In last month’s installment, we began to frame up what it means to operate on both by stating that instincts lead, while insights guide. But, do we yet have an answer on what a leader should do?

Ask a Question, Get an Answer
Every day, we are faced with questions, depending on our current level of engagement with our surroundings. How many can you answer? Why did my competitor just do that? What will happen if the US Postal Service stops Saturday deliveries? Can’t we get more people to like us on Facebook? Is our business model sustainable? Why are those clouds moving so quickly?

On that last question: Those clouds that seemingly dart across the sky are being hit by wind gales. On the ground, the majority of us might not even notice, but someone with an eye to the sky knows that something is afoot.

Translate that into a business environment, and you get what leaders realize each day. Many perceive that leadership acts from the gut only; however, the insights gleaned from the simple nature of eyes-wide curiosity drives them toward clearer decisions just as often.

Next month we’ll tackle a buzz word that has been on everyone’s lips in 2011: Content. It’s easy to say that content is heavily swayed by insights. However, we’ll make an argument for instinct’s role. In the meantime, head over to our Facebook page and take part in our latest poll: What are you most curious about?