Want to be a better leader? Get curious.

Be curious. Not cynical. 

That’s a message I’ve tried to deliver to reporters at the Business Observer and Observer Media Group for years. The idea? The best stories, and before that, the best questions to ask to get the best stories, in journalism, come when you are curious. Don’t assume you know. Ask. Dig deeper. 

Curiosity — this time in leadership — was a key theme during a half-day conference on leadership education recently put together by the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. The conference, “The future of work: promoting well-being to build resilient teams,” was held Jan. 12 at the Carlisle Inn in Sarasota. “Think about well-being like scaffolding,” says Kristen Lessig-Schenerlein, founder of Sarasota-based Koi Coaching & Consulting, one of two keynote speakers during the conference. “It’s a support structure to build a great organization.”