Curiosity + Continuous Learning = Superpower

Learn how to leverage curiosity and continuous learning to build your leadership superpower.

Hi everyone,

Welcome to this edition of Clarity Canvas Weekly - a newsletter that goes out to nearly 2700 leaders, learners and change-makers.

In this edition, we explore self-awareness is the foundation of being able to live up to your full potential.

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On Curiosity and Continuous Learning

When it comes to learning something new, curiosity sparks the fire. But curiosity alone doesn’t lead to new learning. We need continuous learning to really keep the fire burning bright.

In 2015, I was searching for better ways to express myself when I discovered hand-drawn visual notes. I was intrigued and I began researching, exploring resources, and experimenting. I created my first sketchnote and hesitantly shared it on Twitter. The encouraging feedback I received motivated me to keep going, refining my skills with better pens, paper, and techniques. I started a daily practice of creating, reading, connecting with others, and diving deep into aspects of visual information design, my sketchnotes improved steadily. Eventually, I moved to creating sketchnotes on iPad which required me to go through another round of curiosity about new tools and continuous improvement in learning them.

Curiosity + Continual Learning = Greatness

See full sketchnote below.

Curiosity asks, “Why and how does this work?”. Spirit of continuous learning asks, “How can I make this better?”. Both qualities drive progress, but they operate differently. Understanding this difference is essential for new learning to scale.

I read this very interesting post in Admired Leadership Field Notes titled “Curiosity Versus Continual Learning” that underlines this important differentiation.

The post emphasizes,

It seems that relationships and the creative insights that provide the foundation for higher performance benefit most from curiosity, while a fixation on self-improvement through learning and practice most enhances the skills essential for high achievement. The combination of both qualities is a leadership superpower. The best leaders do their best to develop both attributes in themselves and in others. 

While reading the post, I was reminded of Steve Jobs’ obsession with calligraphy, and how it led to groundbreaking design of Mac. Steve could bring his curiosity on calligraphy to his purpose of designing Mac. It was his spirit of continuous learning and connecting the dots that enabled him to make something meaningful. We see a pattern of relentless continual improvement in elite athletes like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal whose success is all about honing their game through relentless practice, tweaking and refining their skills.

Three Practical Ways for Leaders/Learners to Balance Curiosity and Continual Improvement

From my own learning explorations, here are my top three suggestions to learn new things and leverage the learning in a way that helps others: